


Temple of the Paper Gems

by SteveDuck



Series: Travels with The Pilot [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adoption, Dimension Travel, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Mystery, Original Character(s), Pre-Episode: s05e29-32 Change Your Mind, Story within a Story, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 25,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22572778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveDuck/pseuds/SteveDuck
Summary: Steven has realized that White Diamond's tyrannical behavior extends much deeper than he first supposed. He and his friends have suspicions they hope aren't correct. In any case, Steven and Connie have a lot of training to do before they are ready to face Homeworld again.Suddenly, corrupted gem activity spikes in India. Businesses as as usual for the Crystal Gems, or the sign of a certain kelmepi woman's meddling? When the creative spark in paint and paper meets the glow of stones projecting hard light can darkness truly be the result?Join Steven, Connie, Pilot and his mentor, along with the gems as they venture into the ancient temple on the river Koras.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Series: Travels with The Pilot [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1368157
Comments: 35
Kudos: 8





	1. The Search

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this, the fourth work in my Pilot series. While this story does stand fairly well alone and is a great place to jump into my story, it does include and mention characters and ideas first established in earlier works, so it may be worth having a glance back.
> 
> For the benefit of my long term readers, this story takes place about five weeks after the end of "Breakfast with Roxillan" and hopes to be a (largely) fun and intriguing adventure, as opposed to the angst trip of the last story.
> 
> As always, I keep an eye on my comments. I'm always willing to discuss theories, chat, or facilitate convosations with charecters aware of their audience (Pilot, Dora Jr., and Mighty Spark for example). I hope that my story entertains and I give some of you a little mystery to think about.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To be ready against Homeworld, Steven and Connie know they have a lot to learn. Sword swinging may not be enough against a diamond, thankfully Pilot has some tricks to pass on, not all of them can be done in a sky arena. Now the pair must rely on their senses and investigative skills to show they can find a friend or enemy in the crowd. Perhaps pizza will help.

Connie looked down at the picture of her quarry on her phone. It was silly, she knew, she didn’t need a photo to remember the Pilot’s face, his grey skin and pointed ears made him stand out. The phone call she had received that morning had reminded her of an old spy movie however and she hadn’t seen the harm in playing through some of the tropes with Steven, it was fun.

Her mother had come into her bedroom, partway through her preparations for work to tell her that Pilot had wanted her on the phone. She’d groggily gotten out of bed, put on some slippers and made her way to the home phone, she’d tried her best not sound sleepy as she put the phone to her ear. “Pilot? What time is it?”

“It’s morning.”

Connie made a mental note, never ask a kelmep what time it is. She looked over to the clock on the wall, it had just gone 6 o’clock, in the morning, during a summer break. She suppressed a groan. “What do you want?”

“Your training mission today is to find me, I’ll be in disguise somewhere on the boardwalk. Steven said he’d meet you at the Big Doughnut.”

He had hung up before she could ask further questions, so her mother had dropped her at the bus stop on the way to work and she had taken a bus down to the boardwalk. She had met Steven where Pilot said he would be and the two had spent a good few of hours searching the boardwalk. It was summer so the area was full of unfamiliar faces, tourists, surfers, and day-trippers mostly.

Connie thought how odd they must seem peering into the faces of all these strangers. They had entered Fish Stew Pizza where Connie had suggested a stakeout. After an hour they had bought a pizza. It was just like the date they had planned all those weeks ago before Roxillan had shown up.

They had finished the pizza and paid an hour ago. Connie was getting frustrated that she had not seen any sign of Pilot since receiving the phone call. The conversation she had been having with Steven had dried up, her eyes were glued to the window, she took a sip from her drink and grimaced. “Do you want the rest of this Steven?”

“Alright?” He took the cup from her and had a sip. “Bleugh!” The drink was too bitter for him as well.

“If neither of you like coffee,” Jenny asked from the counter, “why did you order it?”

“Because you drink coffee on stakeouts!” Connie snapped.

“All right. Calm down.”

The girl sighed. “Sorry. Pilot’s been hiding from us all day and it’s getting me down.”

“Is this another one of those training things?”

“Yeah…” Steven answered.

Jenny, like most of the long-term citizens of Beach City, had for a while been vaguely aware that Steven and Connie trained to fight corrupted gems. Recently however the training had become more involved and… strange. Every so often Pilot would come through town in the morning and ask a few people, sometimes including her, to simply announce it out loud if they saw Steven or Connie that day. The first few times this happened she sometimes saw glimpses of the pair creeping and hiding in an almost comically over-the-top way. At later times she saw no trace of them, sometimes Pilot would give her a trinket and ask her to hold onto it for the day, later she would check her pocket to find it gone.

Eventually she and a few others had gotten worried about the goal of such training and confronted Pilot. She hadn’t fully understood his explanation, but she believed that the gist was that they were training to get something called a black spindle from an evil gem called White Diamond. Relieved to find he wasn’t training the children to be pickpockets, Jenny and the others had agreed to continue helping with their training.

“Maybe you could ask Kiki when she gets back.” She suggested. “They’re dating after all.”

“What! Really?” Steven asked excitedly.

The teenager was about to answer when a new customer entered the establishment. She had long blonde hair and wore a designer skirt and crop top along with matching heels. “Welcome to Fish Stew Pizza! What can I get for you?” Said Jenny.

The tourist didn’t even bother to raise her sunglasses or stop chewing her gum to respond. “Salad and a coffee.” She had one of those annoying voices that people who believe they deserve the world by virtue of existing often have.

“Okay that will be $6.28.”

The woman handed Jenny a $50 note from her purse and took her change without even making eye contact. She sat on a far table and proceeded to put on a set of wireless earbuds. Jenny delivered her order to the table before heading over to Steven and Connie.

“So how do you know that Pilot is dating your sister?” Connie asked.

“It’s not official yet, but a twin knows. She goes out running with him at least once a week. And he’s been dropping by here more often. Of course it helps that I accidentally walked in on them when they were about to ki-“

The stranger’s head snapped up. “Don’t you think it’s rude to talk about your sister’s private life like that?”

While Jenny was surprised the tourist had heard anything through her earbuds, Connie’s mind, trained to be perceptive of little details, was surprised to hear such concern for a stranger’s privacy coming from someone who had until now seemed self-centered and thoughtless to others. She got out of her booth. “I just have to use the bathroom.” She lied.

As she walked past the woman she focused her hearing. No sound was coming from the earbuds, she had been spying on them the whole time. Connie glanced over her. Whilst her entire demeanour and outlook suggested she had never done a day’s manual work in her life, her hands disagreed. They showed hardening and the scars of old grazes, especially around the knuckles, as one would expect from one who engaged in regular fistfights. She stopped fully and looked the woman in the face. Now she had a proper look it was clear to Connie that this woman was wearing hair extensions, what’s more her natural hair ended at the precise length of the one she was looking for. The perception filter fell apart.

“Pilot!”

“Ms. Maheswaran.” He smiled. He took off the sunglasses and the other two present gasped in surprise and rushed over. “Sorry about how I treated you Jenny. I couldn’t take these off without breaking the filter and I needed a personality to justify that. Here’s a tip for your trouble.” He handed her a $20 bill.

Jenny took it with surprise.

“Was that the right amount for a tip?” He asked, pulling out the blonde hair extensions that clashed horribly with his natural hair colour.

She looked down at the money and thought of the concert tickets she was saving up for. “Yes.”

“So what now?” Steven inquired.

“I think Pearl had some regular combat training lined up if there was time, so we should head to the temple. I just need to get changed and I’ll be right with you.”


	2. How to Skate Across Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the morning's special training complete, Steven, Connie, and Pilot are heading back to the temple for Pearl's lesson in swordplay. On the way back, Pilots disguise reminds Connie of some fears many girls her age deal with. Thankfully, despite his chosen gender, Pilot has been through it all before and is ready with words of encouragement.
> 
> When they get to the temple, will it be just Pearl waiting for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Conversation about being transgender and female puberty from paragraph 10 to 26. Nothing particularly graphic, just a heads up.

Pilot left the restaurant’s bathroom in his spacesuit holding a small backpack containing his disguise and his helmet, which peaked out of the opened top.

“How do you change so fast?” Steven asked as they were walking down the boardwalk.

“It’s a required skill to get around unnoticed. You’ll learn.”

“All those brand-name clothes must of cost you a lot.” Connie mused.

Pilot lowered the bag to Connie’s height and shifted his helmet. “They’re mostly cheap knockoffs Axi redid the logos of. I was hoping it would be one of the things that gave me away.”

The girl rummaged around in the bag to inspect the clothing. “Where’s the padding?” She wondered aloud, not thinking.

“What padding?”

Realizing what she had said, Connie half covered her face with embarrassment. “No! It’s nothing! Just forget I said anything.”

Concerned, Pilot stopped just past the Big Doughnut where the crowds started to thin. “No, tell me. It is important that you understand all the aspects of the art of disguise. You don’t have to be embarrassed, I won’t be offended.”

“Well… For that.” She pointed to a rather plain bra.

Though he hid it well, it was now the Pilots turned to be embarrassed. “Oh.”

“For what?” Steven huddled in as Pilot half pulled the item out. Steven breathed in sharply and took a few steps back, his face red as a beet. He opened his mouth to say something but then realized that for all the female figures in his life, shockingly few of them had the biological features necessary for concerns of this nature to crop up often. He was blatantly underequipped for this conversation.

“Why don’t you go on ahead Steven.” Pilot suggested. The pair watched him turn the corner, when he was out of earshot Pilot returned his attention to Connie with a slow shake of his head. “There wasn’t any, that was… That was all me.”

“But they were bigger.” Connie pointed out.

“I keep in strapped down most of the time. I find them… Unmanly.”

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

With little other recourse, Pilot began to laugh at the pure awkwardness of it all. “You get used to it.”

Connie laughed to. In a way it was cathartic to talk about this kind of stuff to someone. Her mother had always said Connie could come to her with any ‘woman questions’ but there were still things that felt uncomfortable to bring up. “It’s hard to believe you’re only about four years older than me.”

“How much is that?”

“Not much. But look at me! I still look like a kid!”

“Well you are a kid.” Pilot teased.

“Hey!”

He chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously, you have plenty of time to grow up. Don’t worry about it!”

“What if I grow up all gangly or get spots?”

“With your mom’s genetics?” Pilot replied. “That and the amount of exercise you do, you’ll probably grow up looking…” He stopped as a stranger passed them. “Like that…”

The lady had a slightly lighter skin tone to Connie and very frizzy hair tied up in buns, she was a noticeable amount taller than Pilot and possessed an athletic beauty. Her gait was one that showed she was confident and aware of her charms. It was different to the walk Pilot had put on with his disguise however, hers was a friendlier step. She looked the pair up and down. “So that’s what you were like.” She smiled, turned and walked away.

“Pilot?” Said Connie. “Pilot? Pilot!” She waved her hand in front of his face.

“Huh? Connie?”

“We should catch up with Steven.”

“Yeah… I mean, yes, let’s go.”

They began to walk along the beach towards the temple. Just before they turned the corner Pilot signalled for Connie to stop. The pair listened carefully they heard a familiar booming laugh. Pilot slipped into a gap in the rubble by the cliff and signalled for Connie to keep going.

On the porch with Steven were his father, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl who were listening to Mighty Spark, who was coming to the end of a humorous anecdote. “So I pull the bedsheet off the dragon and the warlord is never heard from again! Oh! If it isn’t young Connie. What kept you?”

“Nothing really.”

“Really? Because Steven here said you were talking to Pilot. Maybe you need your eyes tested boy! Ha ha! Or Pilot is looking to show his old man what he can do perhaps?” He got up and hopped over the porch’s railing onto the beach.

“What does he mean by that?” Greg asked his son.

“Whenever Pilot meets Mighty Spark out in the open, he usually fights him.”

“What? But I thought Mighty Spark was on our side. Wasn’t he the guy who raised Pilot or something?”

“I think they do it for fun.” Connie answered, joining them on the porch.

“They bonded over their training while the Pilot was growing up.” Garnet explained. “Though I have to admit Mr. Spark’s training style can be… Extreme.”

Mighty Spark walked along the shoreline. “I wonder where Pilot could have gotten to? He could be any-. Oh!” He happened across a length of rigging that had washed up on shore, roughly as long as his arm, a knot tied in one end. He picked it up in one hand and with the other removed all of the algae and ocean critters attached to it in one fluid motion. “If you want to play games upstart why don’t we play… Swat the knot!” He grinned playfully.

“Are. You. Serious!” Pilot yelled as he sprang from cover, somewhere between confusion and embarrassment. Everybody else looked on in surprise.

“Of course I am!” He beamed. “Have you forgotten the rules? It’s very simple, what you do is-“

“Yes, I remember the rules! You aren’t taking this seriously at all!”

“We used to play this all the time!” Mighty Spark explained to the audience.

“When I wore floral print dresses and played with Legos!”

“You still play with Legos!”

“I’m exercising my spacial reasoning. It’s different. I’ve grown up since then.”

“Of course you have. With both mine and Pearl’s training, your skill is improving every day. You might even be ready to try walking on water again. Do your remember what I said?”

“Use the warp to push the water away from you.” Pilot recited. “I sunk like a rock before throwing myself out of the water like a rocket.”

“You nearly broke your neck when you landed. And now I see why. You didn’t listen to me at all! That is nothing like what I said.” He laughed.

“Then what did you say?”

Mighty Spark offered to the knotted rope with a smirk.

Pilot sighed before rising to the bait. At warp speed he sprinted forward reaching for the knot. At equal speed however, the knot had moved, flicked up into the air. Leaping after it, Pilot found it had whipped over to his mentor’s side.

To the audience, Mighty Spark’s arm became a blur and Pilot seemed to vanish and reappear in new poses and positions, his hands where the knot had been a mere fraction of a second ago. Mighty Spark began backing down the beach, his old apprentice following him, sometimes only inches away from victory. “This is faster than usual.” Pilot observed.

“Well as you said, you’ve grown up!” The old man laughed.

“And grown out of this!” Pilot span in the air and brought down his heel. It was the same kick he had tried on Pearl in their first practice duel, but they had refined it since then and it had a speed like lightning and cracked down like thunder.

Mighty Spark barely had time to raise his arm and block the attack. “That kick’s gotten stronger. I’m impressed.” With a brief flick of his wrist he was holding Pilot’s ankle. He proceeded to throw him out to sea. He stepped onto the ocean and skated out to him. “Are you sure you are ready to learn this?”

“Of course I am!” Pilot responded, treading water.

“Very well. To start off with you can’t push an entire water column, the warp will not conduct that far outside of your body. You need to separate yourself from the water.”

The Pilot closed his eyes and the nodes on his suit hummed into life. If Mighty Spark hadn’t caught him by his arm he would have plummeted to the bottom of the sea. As it was he dangled from his mentor’s hand as if the water around him had become air, having lost all buoyancy. “What did I do wrong this time?” He asked as the suit switched off and he began to float again.

“When I said don’t push the water, that didn’t mean you should let it push you. Of course it swallowed you.” He let go of Pilot’s arm.

“Then what did you mean? Of course the water’s gunna push me if I don’t push back.”

“When you understand, you will be ready.”

“Which page of Being a Cryptic Ass Old Man for Dummies did you get that from?”

“Just after the bit about letting your upstart kid apprentice make his own way back to shore!” He replied skating back to the beach.


	3. Trouble in Koras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fun and games look like they've only just begun, but then Connie gets a call. The Crystal Gems are needed in India, corrupted gems and not the usual MO. Fortunately, with the addition of Pilot and Mighty Spark, it isn't the usual team off to deal with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As with every chapter it occurs in, I apologize for any mistranslations of the Hindi language. I do not speak Hindi and have no close friends that do so either. As a result all translations were made with google translate and are thus probably buttered horribly. If a Hindi speaker sees a line in Hindi that they think could be better phrased, feel free to offer a translation and i will try to edit it in. (Though, to be honest, there isn't much Hindi in this chapter, more is on the way).

As Pilot got to shore he saw Mighty Spark smiling apologetically as Pearl stood before him, a hand on her hip. Her gaze turned to Pilot. “You know we keep combat training to the sky arena Pilot! What if a human had wandered onto the beach?”

Connie’s mobile rang with a tone she had set specifically for her mother. She took a few steps back to take the call.

“I know, I’m sorry. I just wanted to get the drop on…” Pilot stopped. Out of the corner of his eye he saw mounting concern on Connie’s face.

“Is aunt Kashi all right? Don’t worry, I’m with the gems now, I’ll tell them.” She hung up.

“Is everything all right Connie?” Mighty Spark asked.

She shook her head. “There are corrupted gems in Koras Maatrbhoomi.”

“How do you know?” Pearl inquired.

“My mom just called me; it was on the news. At least two ran into the city, raided some factories and fled into the old temple.”

“Corrupted gems aren’t normally that aggressive.” Garnet observed. “We have to get over there and investigate.”

“Is there a warp pad near the city?”

“Yes.” Pearl replied. “We don’t use it much because it’s in the middle of civilisation.”

“Well we gotta use it now!” Exclaimed Amethyst. The other gems along with Steven, Connie and Pilot followed her up the steps.

“May I join you?” Asked Mighty Spark. “I would very much like to see how Steven and Connie fair on their home planet.

“If you’d like.” Answered Garnet.

Everyone entered the beach house. Pearl noticed her student was unarmed. “Where’s your sword Connie?”

Connie took what seemed to be a small stack of painted paper out of her pocket. She gave to light shake and it immediately unfolded into a sword. “Pilot showed me how to fold it up a few days ago.” She folded up her weapon again and returned it to her pocket.

Everyone apart from Greg stepped up to the warp pad. “I’ll watch the house while you’re gone.”

Garnet activated the warp pad and they were all lifted up into the warp.

Mighty Spark looked around the stream of blue. “It’s just like you said Pilot. A web of warp energy tying the planet together. For all the people in the multiverse to discover warp energy don’t you find it odd that Archibald was the only one to figure out how to punch through to other dimensions with it?”

“Wait. So the stuff the warp pads use is the same as what makes you and Pilot faster?” Asked Steven.

“That’s right Steven. Warp energy is the stuff that bends and manipulates space-time directly. Almost anything that circumvents the speed of light uses warp energy to some degree.”

“It’s also what’s between dimensions.” Pilot elaborated. “That’s why manipulating it is necessary to make portals. It can also be used to stabilize black holes, which is how I think Homeworld ships can go faster than light.”

“But that’s enough about that.” Smiled Mighty Spark. “Tell me about this city we’re going to. Chorus something did you say?”

“Koras Maatrbhoomi.” Connie answered. “Koras for short, The name means Motherland Gallery in Hindi, It’s the capital of India.”

“It is?”

“Yes. My aunt lives there.”

He looked down at the girl in some confusion before pulling out a map from one of his cargo short’s pockets. “All right, so there’s a shift in earth typicality Pilot didn’t tell me about, could you point to Koras on this map for me?”

Connie raised her finger to where India was on most world maps but then stopped. The map was similar to those she had seen all her life but then there were stark differences. She recognized almost no place names below the country level. The northern part of Africa extended further west than it should have, multiple islands were missing and the Russian sea was gone. “Mighty Spark? What sort of map is this?”

Mighty Spark was about to answer when he was interrupted by a series of thuds. They had arrived on Koras Maatrbhoomi’s warp pad and Pilot had immediately fallen down a set of stairs.


	4. The Chorus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team arrive at Koras Maatrbhoomi. The gems haven't used the local warp pad in a long time and it is evident. Thankfully Connie is there to smooth out relations with the locals.

Pilot stood up at the bottom of the steps, half-wrestling what he had tripped over. “Who puts a signpost on sensitive alien techno- oh.”

The notice he had been fighting was written in multiple languages, a couple of which he could read, it read, “Attention! Please do not touch the altar. Thank you.”

Looking back the way he’d fell Pilot saw that the warp pad was on a short, conical, and stepped structure. The wider area seemed to be an ancient open-air temple. Unlike the structure of the warp pad was on, which resembled gem architecture, the temple itself seemed to be built with more primitive tools, there were distinctly Indian parts of the architecture, but some parts were off, yet familiar in a way he wasn’t sure of.

It was late evening and it appeared the temple was closed for the day, the only ones to witness the arrival was a pair of shocked security guards. They frightenedly pointed their flashlights at the trespassers. “Tum kaun ho? Aap kahaan se aaye hain? Vedee se door ho jao!(1)” One yelled.

Pearl stepped forwards, raising her arm in a non-hostile manner. “Do not be alarmed!” She announced slowly and clearly. “We are the Crystal Gems and we are here to protect you!”

The guards did not move, their faces showed non-comprehension along with fear.

Mighty Spark lent forward and whispered, “You might want to try again in the local lingo.”

“You can’t expect me to know every language on earth!” Was the hushed reply.

“You’ve been on earth for how many thousands of years?”

“Humans have a lot of languages, and they keep changing!”

Whilst Pearl and Mighty Spark bickered in low voices, Connie stepped forwards. “Ye log ratn hain. Ratnon ne is vedee ka nirmaan kiya. Ham yahaan hamalaavar raakshason se nipatane mein madad karane ke lie hain.(2)”

The guards slowly lowered their flashlights. “Vaastav mein? Khair, mujhe lagata hai ki ham aapako tab jaane de sakate hain.(3)"

“Dhanyavaad.(4)” Connie replied. She looked up at the pair who had stopped their argument to look at her. “They say we can go now.” She started walking down the steps.

Steven was the first to follow her down as the group made their way out of the temple. “Connie, you can speak Indian?”

“The language is called Hindi Steven.”

“Sorry!”

“That’s okay. Hang on a moment.” The group had reached the front gate and one of the guards was unlocking it to let them out. “Ham vaapas aa rahe hain, hamen ghar paane ke lie vedee ka upayog karane kee aavashyakata hai.(5)” The guard nodded in what he hoped was an understanding manner in response to the girl. As they passed out into the street, Connie continued. “As I was saying, a lot of my family comes from India and they don’t all speak English.”

“Well that’s pretty cool!” Said Amethyst. “But which way do we go now?”

“The news report said the corrupted gems went to the old temples. They are about 50 miles south of Koras. We should head that way and see if we can find some transport.” Garnet said.

The group began to travel south, talking as they walked. “So, Connie,” Pilot asked, “do you speak any other languages?”

“Well I’ve learned to speak French and Spanish at school, I also know a bit of Japanese. Do you speak any languages?”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I can speak those languages fluently. I can also speak Latin, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Elvish, Dwarfish, Locoroco, Mermaid, and Giant. I also innately know Conceptual of course.”

“Innately?” Steven queried.

“Oh yeah! Us kelmep can speak, read, and write Conceptual from the moment we are physiologically capable. It’s inborn, some would call it a blessing of the Chorus.”

“What chorus?” Pearl asked.

“Do you mean that one you yell about sometimes?” Amethyst guessed. “I’ll be honest I have no idea what you’re talking about when you do that. You do sometimes seem a little crazy.” She shoved him playfully.

“Amethyst!”

“No no Pearl, she’s sort of right.” Pilot insisted. “It’s not madness, it’s religion.” As he expected, he got blank stares all around, except from Mighty Spark of course who already knew. “Most kelmep believe that when they are born, their souls are drawn from a vast choir of kelmepi voices and when they die their souls return there. Kelmep sometimes beseech the Chorus to preserve them in hard times or to disrupt malevolent forces.”

“I see.” Pearl nodded. “Where is this ‘choir of souls’?”

Pilot laughed. “Isn’t that the question! Legend said that the Chorus used to reside on an island called Wathin. It was undetectable to mortal senses however, not that it matters since the island was apparently swallowed up by a great flood.”

“But if something is undetectable, how did you know it exists?”

“We don’t. That’s the power of faith though isn’t it.” He saw that Pearl started to look at him like he was a bit mad. “Personally, I can’t tell you for sure. I refer to the Chorus more out of habit than anything else. It’s like how humans in some universes worship gods even though there is no evidence for them in most universes.”

They approached the outskirts of the city proper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> (1), in Hindi. “Who are you? What are you doing here? Get off the altar!”  
> (2), in Hindi. “These people are gems. The gems made the altar. We are here to help with the attacking monsters.”  
> (3), in Hindi. “Really? Then I suppose we can let you go then.”  
> (4), in Hindi. “Thank you.”  
> (5), in Hindi. “We are coming back, we need to use the altar to get home.”
> 
> As with every chapter it occurs in, I apologize for any mistranslations of the Hindi language. I do not speak Hindi and have no close friends that do so either. As a result all translations were made with google translate and are thus probably buttered horribly. If a Hindi speaker sees a line in Hindi that they think could be better phrased, feel free to offer a translation and i will try to edit it in.


	5. The Crime Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having made it into the city, the gang needs to get their bearings and figure out what prompted corrupted gems to attack, to do that they need to take a good look at the scene of the crime. How will they get in? What will they find? What drove a pair of mindless corrupted gems to raid a factory? It is up to detectives P. Iolet and Steve Onnie to piece the facts together.

On the southern outskirts of Koras Maatrbhoomi was an industrial district. Tourist destinations and residential buildings started to give way to factories, one of the furthest out factories seem to be abuzz with activity. As the group approached, they saw police cars, police tape, and finally a large hole smashed in the factory’s outer wall.

“That must be the factory the corrupted gems attacked.” Pearl stated as they all stood a good distance away from the crime scene.

“It would be good to get in there.” Mighty Spark mused. “It might give us some insight as to what they were after.”

Pilot offered his little white card.

Garnet considered the suggestion before rejecting it. “Even with identification I don’t think any of us could pass for a local detective. Unless you bought any of your perception filters.”

He shook his head. “Most people in this world are pretty chill with funny looking people so I didn’t think to bring them.”

Suddenly, Steven had an idea. He caught Connie’s eye and they fused. “I could pass for a detective!” Stevonnie asserted.

“Good evening Stevonnie.” Garnet smiled, always happy to see a spontaneous fusion.

“Can I have some warning the next time you do that! Children melting into each other is not a common occurrence where I come from!” Mighty Spark gave himself a moment to get over his surprise. “But anyway, you said you could be a detective?”

The fusion nodded.

“Are you sure you know what you’re looking for?”

“What do you think Pilot has been training me to do for the past months?”

The old man laughed. “It takes more than a few months to master investigation! And anyway, you aren’t worried that will stand out?” He pointed at the stone on their exposed stomach.

Stevonnie realized the problem and tried fruitlessly to pull down Steven’s shirt. When that failed, they shrugged. “I can always change into a bigger shirt.”

Pilot looked at them in shock. “No you can’t!”

“Why not?”

“If Connie’s mom hears we let you see yourself without a shirt, us lot are as good as dead!”

“What do you mean by-,” Stevonnie turned red from the realization before punching him in the arm. “Pilot!”

“Besides!” Pearl hastily added. “We don’t have any clothes your size.”

Pilot laughed, rubbing his arm. “That to.” Suddenly, he stood at attention as his ears twitched slightly under his helmet. “We should get out of the road, car’s coming.”

As they bunched up on the side of the road a large Jeep rolled by, its side doors depicted a bull elephant’s head in portrait, rested on its tusks with its trunk laid over the top were the letters KMDP.

A man on the back seat, seemingly in his late 40s, took notice of the group and got his drivers attention. The vehicle reversed and stopped in front of them. The driver got out and went to open the door for his passenger only to find that they had gotten out by themselves. He was slightly shorter than average, but his posture and uniform made him look taller. The olive uniform was similar to those of the police officers they had seen around Koras, but he had shiny gold buttons and his epaulets bore gold stripes, the symbol on his Jeep was embroidered on his shirt and embossed on a gold badge on his cap. In body he was doing well for his apparent age, only slightly on the larger side. He had a small moustache kept meticulously trimmed, his expression was that of a straight-faced professional though marked by a history of all-nighters. He looked them over from left to right and back again. “You are the gems?”

“Yes.” Garnet replied.

He smiled a smile small but genuine. “My name is Arnav Laghari, I am the Commissioner of the Koras Maatrbhoomi Department of Police. Two days ago, monsters ransacked that factory. One hour ago, we get reports that you appeared in a temple out of nowhere offering to help. Of course, I’ve heard stories of gems, you’ve been dealing with things like this for far longer than we have, and so we are officially recognizing you as a task force. Anything we can provide you with, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Everyone apart from Garnet was too surprised by the offer to immediately respond. “Thank you, Commissioner. We were hoping to take a closer look at the crime scene.”

“Of course.”

As they got closer, they saw the factory was on the banks of a wide, slow-moving river. Police were standing around to keep civilians out, but the Commissioner got them through. Tables have been set up and evidence markers had been placed. Pilot glanced around. “Well, I have some theories. But what do you think Stevonnie? Let’s see how your detective skills are doing.”

Stevonnie approached a marker near the hole in the factory and looked down. “Footprints. I think they stood here for a moment, it’s pretty even and it’s from after they smashed the wall since it’s made in the rubble.” They carefully stepped over to another one and hovered their hand over the print, fingers splayed in a V to match the shape.” I think there are two of them, but they probably look quite similar, they both have cloven hooves, this one’s a bit smaller though. Then again, it might just be its feet that are small, this one’s legs are further apart.”

Pilot clapped his hands. “Very well done, although…”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, your assumptions are fair considering what you were looking at. It’s just that there may be a way to tell for sure.” He gestured towards the table, on it was a beaten and bent security camera.

“That… That is what I was going to check next.”

“I’m sure it was. Commissioner, did we get anything from the camera?”

“We salvaged a few stills, that’s it.”

“A few stills may be enough.”

An aide brought over a file and opened it up, they looked upon the first picture. The corrupted gems indeed had cloven hooves and were both about the size of a horse. One was a turquoise colour; it was stag like in appearance except for its mane, which went down its neck and half covered its eyes. The other one was slightly more compact and bulkier; it was orange with rust coloured patches and overall it resembled a goat with curled horns ending in thagomizer-like spikes and its jaws were full of sharp teeth.

One detail surprised them. “People are riding them!” Exclaimed Pearl. The two people in the picture were clearly humanoid, though they were entirely covered up by clothing.

“We didn’t disclose that detail to the press.” The Commissioner explained. “We didn’t think it was a good idea to tell people monsters like this could be tamed by humans.”

“They can’t.” Garnet stated. “Their minds aren’t stable enough to remember training, only someone physically stronger than them could possibly control them.”

The Commissioner shook his head. “What sort of human could be stronger than-,”

“Not a human.” Stevonnie pointed at the neck of the individual riding the stag-like gem.

Pilot took out a tiny magnifying glass and held it over where Stevonnie was pointing. Sure enough, there was a minuscule patch of bare flesh. “Grey skin.”

“Do you think it’s-,”

“Roxillan.” Pilot said grimly. “We need to find out what she was doing here. Let’s look at the other stills.”

The second photo showed the ram’s rider had dismounted and their mount was lining up its head with the wall. “Who’s that person with her?” Asked Amethyst.

“They’re too well covered up to tell for sure, the shoulders are too close together to be a human male, but they lack secondary female characteristics, quite skinny, possible eating disorder if they’re human. Wearing studded leather armour under their clothes. Armed, but with anachronistic weapons, looks like a short sword and a rather oddly shaped shield.” From the angle they had been seen in the stills only the back of the shield could be seen, it seemed to be a symmetrical, though rather spiky shape, like a haphazard many pointed star, except the lines between each point were comprised of single elegantly curving lines. “Pearl? If White Diamond were to send a gem on a stealth mission, what sort would she send?”

“A Clear Quartz…”

“A Quartz soldier? What would her capabilities be?”

“Well they’re stealth fighters, they can’t naturally make weapons like other Quartzes and they’re not quite as durable. They make up for it by the fact they are entirely invisible apart from their gem which is transparent. But why do you ask?”

“Nothing really. This just proves our suspicions, Roxillan has her finger in Homeworld politics. Either she has enough clout to requisition a Clear Quartz or she has enough sway over White to draw her interest to raiding warehouses in India.” He ignored the shocked faces around him. “Let’s look at the last, still shall we?” The view in the last still was completely obscured by dust and rubble. “Well that’s not helpful. What am I meant to learn from this? They knocked a bloody great hole in the wall? I got that already!” He gestured at the hole and threw the picture on the table in an annoyed fashion. “Well, I guess that leaves it to us. Stevonnie! You look inside. I’ll look out here. Everybody else, try not step on anything important!”

Pilot started investigating the hoofprints Stevonnie had found while Stevonnie stepped through the hole to start their investigations. There was a brief flash of light. “Are you all right in there?” Pearl called.

“We’re okay!” Steven’s voice replied.

“We can cover more ground this way!” Connie explained.

The Commissioner couldn’t mask his surprise. “Are those children?”

“Yes.” Garnet replied bluntly.

Pilot, barely looking up, chimed in. “Don’t worry about it though, they’re under a mountain of care and responsible supervision. They’re Garnet’s fusion protégés, Pearl’s knightly wards, my apprentices, the old man’s grandapprentices,”

“That’s a made-up word.” Mighty Spark deadpanned.

“and Amethyst is here to.” Pilot finished.

The Commissioner, though usually quick witted, knew himself to be out of his depth and had sort of switched off after the first mention of Diamonds. “As long as they don’t hurt themselves.”

Pilot nodded and went back to his work. He didn’t look up as Amethyst began to walk towards him. Suddenly his arm sprang out and caught Amethyst’s foot. He took a pinch of rock dust from where she was about to step and released her.

“You all right fly boy?”

“I’m doing pretty good Amethyst.” He sprinkled the dust into his hand, watching it closely. “Examining ‘fine rocks’ has become a passion of mine.” His helmet displayed a winking face and he snickered.

She laughed with him as she sat down on the ground beside him. When the laughter stopped, she came back to her more serious point. “Are you worried?”

He took off his helmet, gave a playful salute to the again astounded Commissioner, before returning his attention to his friend. “About what?”

“You know… Roxillan.”

Pilot smiled, genuinely from his spinning heart. “What about her? Look Amethyst, I’ll admit I have a lot of baggage around her, she’s my stepsister, but for you guys, and this world, I can put that aside. Losing Roxillan hurts but losing even one of you would hurt so much more now. Without that power over me, what is she? A mad lady with a spear. And I train with Pearl all the time!” They both laughed again. “She has pawns, we have friends. There’s only a couple of them, there’s…” He lent up close to the gem’s ear and whispered, “I want to look smart in front of the Commissioner. How many of us are there?”

“Seven.”

“There’s Sir heaven of us, and I like those odds!”

“Me too fly boy, me too.”

Steven poked his head out of the building. “I think we know what happened in the here now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. Due to schedule changes in my life I probably will change my upload times to Tuesdays from now on. Hope you're still having fun!


	6. Missing Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the scene of the crime, Stevonnie's investigation bears fruit.

Pilot jumped up, rubbing his hands together. “Well talk us through it then!” He and the gems stood at the hole.

Steven and Connie began to show them around the room, Steven took a small box of pencils off a shelf. “As you can see appears to be a storeroom for school supplies, pencils, erasers, and…”

“Textbooks!” Connie announced, holding up a math book dramatically. The pair of them had in reality figured out the crime scene pretty quickly, but they had held off on calling everyone as they debated how theatrical they should be. On the one hand they wanted seem mature and responsible, on the other hand, Pilot always showed off a bit when he did something like this. Eventually fun won out so they used up another couple of minutes rehearsing. She began walking along the shelves. “We have pallets of books on math, geography, history, English, Hindi, and then we have this!”

One of the shelves in the back corner had been collapsed entirely, leaving a pile of unhooked shelves, splinters of broken pallets, and books. “As you can see from the other shelves, the books are stacked three pallets high, and each pallet has its own type of book.” Steven explained. “We looked over this pile and there are pretty much only two books in it! Any guesses as to what Roxillan wanted?”

Pilot folded his arms with pride and displayed a smile on his helmet. “She’s researching a particular topic. If we find out what book’s missing, we’ll know what she’s trying to discover.”

Pilot was about to go ask the Commissioner for the stock records of the room when Connie interrupted him. “That’s what we thought, you remember how we said the pile was ‘pretty much’ two books? Well at the bottom of the pile were a few of these books.” She held up a book with a blank black cover. “They must’ve fell off the pallet as they pulled it out.”

“What’s it about?”

“Take a look.”

Pilot quickly flicked through the pages. “It’s a sketchbook, a blank sketchbook!”

“Do you know what this means? Because we aren’t sure.”

The Pilot thought for a moment before shrugging. “I don’t know either and anyway, we don’t have all the data so we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We should get what information we can from the Commissioner and head off to investigate ourselves.”

As they exited the factory, they saw that the Commissioner was preparing to leave. “Ah! Gems! I was just about to file the report, do you have anything else to add?”

“They stole a pallet of sketchbooks.” Steven smiled proudly.

“I see, do you have any idea why?”

“We have a few guesses.” Pilot interrupted. “But we’ll have to investigate further to see if any pan out. Before you go, I was hoping you could answer a few of our questions.”

“Of course.”

“The news reports we saw said the corrupted gems retreated back to the old temple south of here. How do you know? Did someone follow them?”

“No. It’s an educated guess based on the fact they fled upstream along the Koras River.” He gestured to the river flowing into the city beside them. “The river flows straight through the old temple, it’s the only large structure that way for miles. Not to mention there being stories of creatures resembling the monsters that attacked tonight haunting the old temple.”

“A fair assumption.”

“If you know where they are,” Amethyst questioned, “why don’t you go get them? You have to have a SWAT team or something.”

“Amethyst!” Pearl chided. “Humans are fragile! You shouldn’t encourage them to fight corrupted gems!”

“I wasn’t P! I was asking why they haven’t already!”

Pilot gently pushed the pair away from each other. “It’s a fair point, humans don’t usually withdraw from strange situations until it bites them on the butt.” His mind began to drift away. “It’s kind of cute! Like stopping a kitten from licking an electrical socket.”

Mighty Spark cleared his throat.

“Right. Bad analogy. What is keeping you away?”

The Commissioner put the analogy aside for a moment. “It’s said that the old temple is haunted.” He caught the numerous raised brows. “I’m not saying it is! But every record we have of someone entering the temple either has them go missing or fleeing back to the city in terror before suddenly forgetting what frightened them.”

Pearl rested a hand on her hip and turned her head slightly. “That’s odd…”

“What is?” Mighty Spark inquired.

“Amethyst and I explored that temple only 400 or so years ago. There wasn’t anything in there that was particularly scary, it was just a normal abandoned temple. Do you remember anything strange Amethyst?”

“Nope. It was kind of dark in places and doors sometimes closed behind you but other than that…”

“Maybe something new has moved in.” Pilot suggested. “Roxillan could have installed some conceptual tricks if she’s been here long enough.”

The Commissioner shook his head. “The records go back to over 3000 years ago.”

Pilot flashed a grin on his helmet at Amethyst and Pearl. “Well, if the temple didn’t scare you last time, it shouldn’t scare us this time.” He stepped away, looking upriver.

“So, you intend to go to the old temple.”

“Yes.” Garnet replied. “You don’t have to worry about them coming back Commissioner, we’ll take care of it.”

“You have my thanks. And of course, if there is anything we can provide to assist you, you need only ask.”

Garnet was about to politely turn down the Commissioner’s request when Pilot perked up. He sprang back towards them ending up half dangled over Garnet’s shoulder. “Can we have your car?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Since this and the next chapter are both pretty short, I have decided to releace chapter's 6 and 7 simultaneously.


	7. Transport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With means to get to Koras Temple, the journey should be a breeze. the only question is, who's driving?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Since this and the previous chapter are both pretty short, I have uploaded both (chapters 6 and 7) simultaneously.

Pilot sauntered towards the Jeep, one arm held his helmet, the other tossed the keys up and down. He grinned triumphantly.

“I can’t believe you let him take that nice man’s car.” Pearl sighed to Garnet.

“The journey would have taken several hours on foot.”

“And anyway Pearl, he did offer us anything!” Amethyst added. “Who’s driving though?”

The fusion smiled and adjusted her shades. “I call shotgun.”

Pilot went to open the driver side door. “I’ll drive!”

Mighty Spark rushed over and grabbed the keys at warp speed, he held them above his head. “Dear God, no!”

Pilot folded his arms and huffed. “Well I get the roof then.”

As Pilot clambered up and crouched on top of the Jeep, his predecessor took the driver’s seat and the rest filed into their positions. Mighty Spark turned the key in the ignition and drove out of town. They took a large, empty main road that ran parallel to the river for a time, when it turned away, they took the vehicle off road. The further they got from the road the greater abundance of plant life there was, most of it near the river was long grasses and the occasional shrub that made driving bumpy, but there were sparse trees away from the banks. Away from the city’s artificial lights, the moon and stars shone brightly, a backdrop that made it almost inconceivable that they had been on a motorway mere minutes before.

Steven looked back from the view to the driver in front of him. “So… Mighty Spark, why were you so against Pilot driving?”

The old man shivered slightly. “Steven, unless lives depend on escaping pursuers, getting somewhere quickly, or driving a vehicle no one else knows how to control, never let my apprentice drive you anywhere in any vehicle besides his ship. Your sanity depends on it.”

Suddenly, Pilot hung from the side of the Jeep looking through Steven’s window. “Or a motorcycle! Right, old man? We did a test that shows I can ride a motorcycle while obeying road safety laws.” He made an inverted commas gesture with his free hand on the last bit.

“True.”

“Pilot!” Pearl crossly exclaimed. “Don’t hang off the car like that! You’ll hurt yourself!”

“I appreciate the concern Pearl!” In one fluid movement he pulled himself up into a handstand, rolled across the roof and entered a hanging position on Pearl’s side. “You don’t have to worry though; I’m conceptually aligned to vehicles. I was born to work in and around them. I know how they work, I can feel the area around them, and I know how to prevent them from hurting me.”

“If you’re born to do vehicles, then why are you such a bad driver?” Asked Amethyst.

“How dare you? I am the best driver here! The old man’s just jealous.”

“Sure I am.” Mighty Spark laughed sarcastically. “Pilot is a very good driver by his own standards. If he’s behind the wheel he can get you somewhere quickly and relatively unharmed, I’ve even seen him control a car with such precision that he can knock a man unconscious by swerving a car into him without causing lasting harm. The trouble is he drives purely on instinct, he ignores speed limits, he’ll drive through oncoming traffic, every turn he makes is a hairpin turn and I don’t think I’ve once seen him once take his foot off the accelerator before arriving at his destination.”

“If the Chorus wanted me to slow the car myself, they would have made the ground frictionless.”

“Duly noted, upstart.” The old man replied with a hint of unease. “To be fair, he’s yet to seriously injure someone he wasn’t trying to while driving, but his driving still scares me to no end!” He laughed again.

As they crested a hill, they saw a structure in shadow. It appeared to be single story, with occasional domes and crystalline towers rising above, but it sprawled out for miles, at least as large as Beach City back home. In the interior, courtyards and gardens exposed to the open air. The river they had been following had suddenly meandered away, in the distance it curved back going straight through the heart of the ruins.

“Is that it?” Steven asked.

“That’s the old temple.” Pearl confirmed.

“It’s huge!” He exclaimed.

Pilot hung down suddenly. “That’s what she-,”

Garnet gave a disapproving look.

“You’re right. That was a low hanging fruit.” He looked down. “There!” He exclaimed. “A hoof print! And another one! They definitely headed this way!”


	8. The Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have arrived at the Temple of Koras. The entry points are limited, so Pilot expects trouble from his stepsister regardless of how they enter. With no way around, they'll have to bust through. No problem given the Crystal Gems' track record. Then again, in this place where corrupted gems, the constructs of a wary people, and now a highly resourceful kelmep, maybe this won't be business as usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mentions of psudo-cannibalism (Human like beings eating human flesh), and supernatural fear.

They parked the jeep and walked along the outer wall with care. “Are you sure this is the only entrance?” Pilot asked.

“Amethyst and I walked the whole perimeter last time we were here. Unless a wall has collapsed our only entrances are this door and the opening the river goes through.”

“And the tracks suggest Roxillan went in the river way.” Pilot acquiesced. They came upon a large stone door, big enough to allow several people through at a time when opened, the one they had been expecting to find. “Just because she doesn’t use this entrance doesn’t mean Roxillan didn’t set a trap at it.”

Connie and the gems readied their weapons, Steven placed a large shield between the group and the door. Pilot cautiously crept up to the door, something wasn’t right. He examined the ring-shaped handles, no trick mechanisms, he checked the floor around the entrance, no trap door. He reached for a handle.

Just as his hand grazed the stonework, the door swung inward, and a breeze escaped. “Oh no.” He said quietly, and not because of the corrupted gem before him. It was pantherine with purple stripes, like a purple tiger but twice the size and wielding a bladed tail. It prepared to pounce.

As the breeze hit the rest of them Steven and Mighty Spark flinched.

The shield vanished as Steven ran away screaming. “The grayskins! The grayskins are gonna eat me!”

Before anyone could stop her, Connie pursued him. “Steven! What are you talking about!? Come back!”

“Steven! Connie! What are you doing? What’s happening?” Pearl exclaimed. She went to catch the two of them when the corrupted gem leapt with a roar.

Pilot ducked and rolled out the way of the sharp tail as it scored the earth where he had been standing. Garnet caught the monster by its front paws with her gauntlets and wrestled it.

“That wind was a wave of conceptual fear, old kelmepi trick! You didn’t notice it last time because it only targets humans! You guys deal with the corrupted gem! I’ll go snap them out of it!”

He was about to run after them when Mighty Spark’s furious roar stopped him. “Get away from him!” the old man’s eyes locked with the imagined foe behind the Pilot, now looking smaller, younger, afraid. “If you so much as touch my apprentice you won’t live to regret it! I swear to God I’ll beat your miserable grey body into atoms! Ulndae!” He clenched his fist and flexed his arm. After a few second it started to glow blue.

“Okay. New plan. I have to stop the old man from levelling this place and taking us with it.”

As Pilot went to attend to his mentor, Garnet managed to throw the corrupted gem backwards. “I can find Seven and Connie after we’ve dealt with this, but I can’t fight it alone! Gems!”

Pilot stood a few feet from his mentor. If he hadn’t been rendered immune to the hazards of warp energy by exposure, the crackles of it coming off Mighty Spark’s arm would likely have fried his nervous system. “Mighty Spark! It’s me!” The old man’s eyes didn’t shift from the invisible threat, his muscle fibres were visibly shining through his skin. Pilot shook his head. “Too much fear. I’ll have to counteract it.” In his natural voice he started to sing;

_Raindrops on roses_ _  
And whiskers on kittens  
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens  
Brown paper packages tied up with strings  
These are a few of my favorite things_

_…_

Pearl stepped back from the corrupted gem’s razor-sharp claws. “What is Pilot doing?”

“His best!” Garnet replied, stepping in to uppercut the beast. “We have to trust he knows what he’s doing!”

Amethyst, who was behind the monster, threw out her whip. It wrapped around the neck of the off ballance target, exposing its chest. Amethyst wound her end of the whip around the back of a tree for leverage. “Now Pearl!”

Pearl lunged and thrust her spear through it. She stood back to let the worthy adversary poof and retreat to its gem.

Despite the spear going straight through it, the corrupted gem did not poof. For a few seconds the creature didn’t move. “Watch out!” Shouted Garnet as she tackled Pearl out the way. The tree snapped, throwing Amethyst onto her face as the beast bared down on where Pearl had stood.

_…_

_Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels_ _  
Doorbells and sleigh bells  
And schnitzel with noodles  
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings  
These are a few of my favorite things_

_…_

Steven hadn’t run far before he found an outcropping of the temple to hide behind and started to cower. Connie caught up with him. He was gibbering in fear. “Knife ears gonna kill me, always watching.”

“Steven? What are you talking about? Whatever is scaring you, we can deal with it. We’ve dealt with worse. Do you remember how we faced the dangers of the jungle moon? We fought the Diamond’s for goodness sakes! Whatever it is, we face it, together.” She embraced him.

“Con-nie?”

In a burst of light, Stevonnie was huddled on the ground. Connie had been expecting the fusion to simply overcome the fear, but before they could even get their bearings, reality fell away from Stevonnie.

Around them was a terrible feast, at stools of bone sat kelmep rending charred flesh from human bones, performing profane rituals, and becoming increasingly intoxicated with wine from skulls. Stevonnie hardly knew what wine or intoxication was but something told them each terrible detail of the scene around them, it also told them that kelmep were hideous, powerful and to be fled. Stevonnie covered their eyes, this wasn’t right, kelmep weren’t like this, there was at least one who was good. Who was he? A voice, a real voice, pierced the veil, they heard Pilot singing to his predecessor. They saw the macabre fantasy for what it was, a figment of some frightened imagination. The fusion stood, they still needed to shake this outside fear off themselves. Stevonnie started to sing along quietly.

_…_

_Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes  
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes  
Silver-white winters that melt into springs  
These are a few of my favorite things_

_…_

“I don’t understand!” Pearl exclaimed firing laser after laser into the monster, who seemed largely unphased by the holes in its face and sides. “Why won’t it poof, no gem’s body is able to function this far off model!”

Amethyst cracked her whip to keep the corrupted gem from advancing but it charged despite the cuts.

Garnet’s visor flashed as she charged past her fellow gems. So preoccupied was their opponent with her allies that it was unable to prevent her from sliding between its leg and behind it. She grabbed its sharpened tail in one gauntlet, with her other she grabbed the violet ovoid stone on its thigh and pulled. As the stone came free the corrupted gem still didn’t poof, its body simply fell lifeless on the ground. 

_…_

_When the dog bites  
When the bee stings  
When I'm feeling sad  
I simply remember my favorite things  
And then I don't feel so bad!_

As Pilot finished his song, Mighty Sparks eyes began to come back into reality. “Boy?”

“How you feeling old man.”

He let the mounting warp energy in his arm quietly dissipate and the limb regained its natural hue. “Better.” He waved to the gems. “Sorry about that! Guess I’m still human after all!” He laughed.

Mentor and apprentice looked at each other. “Do you guys need a moment?” Called Amethyst.

Both wanted to say more, Pilot wanted to make sure his Mighty Spark was okay, Mighty Spark wanted to thank his apprentice and apologise for making them responsible for him. “No, it’s fine.” Pilot answered. “Men like us understand each other, I wouldn’t diminish the old man with unnecessary words. Let’s go find Steven and Connie.”

“No need.” Garnet responded, she pointed towards a stand of bushes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on I am going to release a shear minimum of 1500 words a week (preferably 2000) regrdless of how many chapters that entails. Chapters get longer as the story progresses so we should return to single chapter uploads soon.


	9. Paper Gems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie is safe! Now all that's left is to examine the remains of the creature Steven and Connie fled from. The gem's remains are odd to say the least, not least of all because gems aren't meant to leave remains besides their stone. Yet here they are, stone held by Garnet and a purple carcass on the floor, a carcass made of... paper? Surely investigation is in order?
> 
> It is and don't call me Shirley! (Sorry)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Autopsy of a paper creature, nothing particularly graphic but just in case you find the idea of autopsies unsettling.

Stevonnie stumbled out of the undergrowth. “I’m ok.” Pilot, Amethyst, and Pearl ran up to the fusion. Pilot passed the quartz his helmet, held Stevonnie’s head still, and examined their eyes closely. “I said I’m fine. What are you doing?”

“Just checking.” He replied.

Pearl was checking the rest of Stevonnie’s body for injuries. “What were Steven and Connie thinking? Running off in the middle of a strange place! What if Roxillan had found you?”

“They couldn’t help it.” Pilot explained. “They were literally overwhelmed with the idea of fear itself. I suppose being half gem let Steven overcome it.” He let Stevonnie go and grinned at them. “I suppose you fused to spread the resistance to Connie. Good thinking!”

“Well actually-,” Stevonnie started.

“Pilot!” His predecessor called. “You might want to look at this!”

They all headed to the body of the corrupted gem. “So, this is what scared Steven so much?” asked Stevonnie.

“No. Someone put it here to take advantage of the effect.” Pilot pointed at the doors to the temple. “Could somebody keep that entrance open, I’d bet the doors closing resets the trap. Or at least I would if I could afford to keep buying Amethyst lunch.”

Garnet handed the corrupted gem to Amethyst before she and Mighty Spark went to attend to the doors.

Pilot held out his hand. “May I see that for a moment Amethyst.” She handed it to him as he stood over the pantherine body.

Its appearance had changed slightly, while active it seemed to have been formed of the same hard light any gem was constructed by but now inactive it looked different. “It’s made of paper.” Pearl observed. She was right, the sheets of paper had been folded and painted to resemble its shape and colour.

“Not just any paper!” Pilot added. He tore off a strip from around a whip wound. “This is the same paper that the sketchbooks stolen from the factory were made of.” They were interrupted by a crash, Garnet and Mighty Spark returned to the group, having ripped the doors off their hinges. “Make a bit more noise why don’t you!” Pilot exclaimed sarcastically.

“If someone was around to hear that they would have heard the fighting.” Mighty Spark replied. “Besides, Garnet and I got to talking about what its influence was like and we decided destroying the trap was the best course of action.”

“It won’t hurt Steven again.”

“Fair.” Pilot agreed.

“So anyway,” Amethyst asked, “what is this thing?” She jabbed the mass of painted paper.

“Well, let’s see.” Pilot knelt down and tentatively reached out to touch the stone to the hunch of the defeated opponent. For the brief moment the gemstone touched the paper the body lurched with apparent life, its skin looking less painted and more realistic. Pilot rapidly withdrew the stone and the mass returned to inanimacy. He handed the stone back to Amethyst who bubbled it and sent it home. “I think I know what this is.”

With some effort and assistance, Pilot turned the subject onto its back, revealing the hole Pearl had left with her first strike. The wound was larger and deeper than any other, going straight through its body. Inside they could see each layer of paper had been painted intricate colours and patterns, reds, greens, gold and silver. “Who would bother to paint the inside of this with complicated patterns?” Asked Stevonnie. “I don’t even think these are the right colours.”

“It’s not supposed to be.” Pilot answered. “These are conceptual patterns, ideas being folded in.”

Stevonnie’s eyes widened with realisation. “A papersmith made this? What is it?”

“A xataar kelm.”

“A paper person?”

“Yes Stevonnie.” Pilot straddled the body, placed his hands into the wound, and started trying to tear it open. “Stevonnie, would you mind? Giving me a hand?” He grunted. The fusion drew their sword and started making small incisions at Pilot’s instruction. As they worked Pilot explained. “A xataar kelm is a highly complex construct only master papersmiths could hope to create. They require paper, conceptually stimulated pigments, and some part of the being you wish to copy, in this case the gem, along with a lot of knowhow to make. They are perfectly loyal automatons once made, however, commanded by the master’s will. Usually their behaviour becomes less natural the farther they get from their creator, but I guess the fact the part they used was technically alive gives it greater autonomy.”

“Alright, but Pilot?”

“Yes Stevonnie?”

“Why are we cutting this open?”

“Well… Aha!” Pilot reached into Stevonnie’s latest cut and pulled out a paper structure. In shape it resembled a black spindle, except the ring was attached to the core by a single spoke and it had ceased to spin. In colour, the paper had been painted various shades and patterns in mindboggling density. “A paper heart, that confirms it, a kelmep made this. The gem provides information and the heart provides power!”

“I didn’t know Roxilan was a papersmith.” Mighty Spark noted.

“She isn’t, Ulndae would never allow his own to practice a lower class’ craft.”

“Maybe she learnt after you were separated?”

“It takes decades at least to become this accomplished a papersmith.”

“She had no knowledge of spearmanship before she changed either.”

“Maybe she found someone to do it for her?” Stevonnie suggested. “Maybe that’s who’s with her!”

“Impossible.” Pilot replied. “Only a kelmep can manipulate concepts well enough to do this and Roxillan can’t transport people through dimensions.”

“What if they were already here?” Stevonnie theorised. “When you first came to our universe you detected traces of kelmepi life!”

“It was a false positive.” Pilot retorted. “I took a room tone scan of Beach City and then registered nothing, there were no kelmep on earth.”

“Is it possible your room tone was wrong?”

“Not likely, but possible.” Pilot conceded. “Either way, we now know the corrupted gems we saw in the stills are probably xataar kelmep as well. We’ll probably have to deal with them, Roxillan, and probably her accomplice too. Shall we?”

“Let’s g- Wait.” Murmured Garnet. “I can’t see.”


	10. The Tale of King Thorae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exploring a temple the size of a city takes time. To pass the time Pilot tells a story from his youth, told to him by Roxillan, back when she was a kinder soul.

“Does she normally suffer bouts of blindness?” Asked Mighty Spark, coming over to aid her.

“I haven’t been blinded.” Replied Garnet. “I can’t predict what’s in there.” She pointed to the entrance of the temple. “I can foretell the temple’s layout, but I can’t see what will happen when we go inside. I can’t predict where Roxillan is either.”

“Something strange is going on with this place.” Pearl mentioned, concern mounting in her voice.

“You can never know what’s going to happen for certain.” Mighty Spark noted.

Garnet nodded. “We should proceed with caution.”

They entered the temple. As Pilot placed his foot through the threshold, the ground below his foot glowed blue. The glow extended in two lines in opposite directions along the floor, climbed up the walls and wrapped around the room. On the far side of the room the lines met, forming a single wavy line, identical to the one on Pilot’s helmet.

“Well that explains it!” Pilot exclaimed.

“I should have known!” His mentor agreed.

The rest of the group looked back at them, all of them being only more confused by the lines. “We’re in a Pilot temple.” Pilot explained. “The Pilot’s inherent unpredictability must be interfering with Garnet’s future vision.”

“Why is there a Pilot temple in our world?” Pearl questioned.

As Pilot approached the wall a very thin line of light drew down from the symbol and drew a humanoid figure, in their hand was a rod with a bend at the top, a crowbar. “Old Archie was in your world for a few centuries, plenty of time to build.” Suddenly a ring formed starting at the image’s feet and reaching up to the ceiling, some meters up, depicting a portal of immense size. Other humanoids were drawn stepping through the portal, carrying bags, staves and short spears. “Especially if he had help…”

“Who are these people?” Asked Stevonnie.

“Impossible to tell. Archibald wasn’t known to travel with anyone other than his apprentice. These people could be anyone.”

“Almost anything could be in a Pilot temple.” Stated Mighty Spark. “We should move before Roxillan finds something dangerous.” They all headed through a doorway on the right.

The temple seemed to be composed of rooms with few corridors or hallways. Rooms were connected by open doorways, doors were only present on openings that led outside, into eroded courtyards and overgrown gardens. Whenever Pilot or his mentor set foot in a room it was illuminated by disks of blue light on the floor. Most of the rooms had lost their furniture, the wood having rotted away. That which did remain suggested fairly humble purpose, washrooms, kitchens, and storage mostly.

After several rooms without incident they all relaxed slightly. “So, Pilot?” Asked Stevonnie. “How do you know so much about paper people?”

“If kelmep can make them, I bet they were everywhere!” Declared Amethyst.

Pilot grabbed the gem’s hand. “Done! You owe me a lunch!” Pilot shook his head. “Xataar kelmep are hard to make, the only kelmep I ever met who could possibly make one was Meygareath and paper beasts would be a waste of space on a river boat. The one you faced outside was the first I’ve seen in real life.”

“Then how do you know so much about them?”

“Honestly, most of what I know come from legends and fairy stories Roxillan and Meygareath told me.”

“I didn’t know kelmep had fairytales.” Pearl responded.

“Of course we did!”

“Can you tell us one now?” Asked Stevonnie, fascinated.

“Eh, sure why not?” Pilot linked his fingers behind his head and stretched. “A story about xataar kelmep… I suppose the tale of king Thorae features them most prominently.” Pilot began his story:

_…Thorae was a kelmepi hero, legends abound of the exploits of his life._

_Near the start of his twilight years, Thorae the Hero was crowned the first king of the river kelmep and he decided to live in the palace of a villain he had vanquished, though that fight is for another story. It was about this time Thorae met his first and only love, a human. As human lives are short and their love was true, they married after only a few short years, the human was known as queen Menza. The pair had a daughter and named her Iysaeja, later Iysaeja the Tactician, Thorae performed the Ritual of Inclusion on her and she grew to become a hero and monarch in her own right, again a story for another time…_

“Wait. Ritual of what?” Questioned Amethyst.

“Ritual of Inclusion. A kelmep or half-kelmep with a spinning heart can duplicate their heart to give someone with kelmepi blood a kelmepi lifespan.” Pilot clarified. “Where was I?”:

_…The king, queen, and their daughter lived happily for a few short years but all to soon Menza grew sick. The queen would shake and faint, she ran fevers, on occasion she would see things that weren’t there. Thorae called for doctors, his queen was not old, not even by the standards of her kind, she was too young to die! As Menza’s condition grew worse, the king was almost mad with desperation, resource was no object to save her, he began to neglect his duties as king._

_There was nothing to be done. The human Menza passed away. She was sealed in a coffin but Thorae could not bear bury it as tradition dictated. His every waking moment he spent in mourning, he barely ate or cared for himself. A day became days, a month to months, a year to years. Kelmep came eventually, first with condolences, then with the expectation that he would resume providing leadership and advice. Whenever one of his subjects would seek counsel however, the only words they would get were “Leave Me!”_

_Eventually, in the absence of his wisdom, the wellbeing of the kingdom who had come to rely on him declined. The only reason it did not deteriorate entirely was thanks to the princess Iysaeja who, though lacking in years, had inherited her father’s wisdom and leadership._

_One night, as Thorae again wept over his wife’s casket, a stranger approached, a small kelmepi woman of years greater than even Thorae. Her name was Takleeth. “Greetings O’ King of the Rivers!” Said she._

_“Why do you disturb me?” Asked the king._

_“Why, you called for someone to heal your queen.”_

_“You are too late, years too late!” Thorae roared, believing some cruel joke was afoot. “She is dead, she died in my arms and lies dead in this casket!”_

_“I see, my apologies. When shall she be burried?”_

_“Never!”_

_“Then you intend to have her healed?”_

_Thorae paused, confused by the statement. “Did you not hear me? She is dead.”_

_“I may be old, but I am not deaf. She is dead and you intend to see her healed.”_

_“None can heal death old woman.”_

_“I can.” She replied._

_Thorae did not realise what he had heard for a moment but when he did, the longing he had to see his wife again nearly dropped him to his knees. “If you speak the truth then please! Bring my Menza back to me!”_

_“I may not do my work for nothing; I need resources and have a fee. My fee is simple, for as long as your wife may live you are to allow me to sleep in the room adjacent to hers, I may have free rein of your palace and you will make me her royal physician, I do not ask for pay, only that you ensure I am fed.”_

_“If I see my queen living again, I will give you all that and more. What are the resources you need?”_

_“That casket and its contents.”_

_Thorae flinched. “I cannot bare to let you leave with it.”_

_“Could you bare to let me have a few days alone with it in some unused corner of your palace?”_

_“Yes.”_

_So it was that Takleeth set to work she came to and fro from her own merger home and the castle. Each time she came in the guards would search her bags. “What are these papers?” One would say._

_“They are not papers.” She would reply. “They are bandages, I must change the queen’s regularly.”_

_“And what of these paints?”_

_“Wrong again! These are salves. It takes much medicine to cure death.”_

_A few days after Takleeth had arrived, Thorae worried so much he attempted to sneak into the room in which the procedure was apparently happening. As he approached the door it swung open. “Clothes! Clothes for her highness’ modesty!”_

_Thorae instintively held out his cloak, Takleeth took it and a few moments later stepped out again with Menza, wrapped in his cloak and looking the peak of her health. “My Love!” He exclaimed embracing her. For a moment he froze, he did not feel the beat of a human heart in his wife’s chest, he felt a spin. “You have a kelmepi heart?”_

_“Do you love me any less for it?”_

_“No.”_

_The king and queen quickly brought the good news to the people. With his returned wisdom and ability to lead, Thorae brought his kingdom from the brink to its former glory in just a few short decades. As time went on Menza did not age, Thorae never mentioned it, assuming it to be the miraculous cure of Takleeth at play. The pair roamed and cavorted, everywhere the queen went however her physician wasn’t far behind. Nevertheless, Thorae was a good king._

_One day Takleeth grew sick, the disease was not as dire as the one that took Menza’s life, but it was bad enough to render the old woman bedridden for a time. In gratitude for restoring Menza’s life, the king and queen attended to Takleeth’s wellbeing personally, along with a younger doctor._

_At one fateful moment while the doctor was resting in his chambers, Takleeth suffered an awful fit of coughing, fearing her condition was worsening, Thorae instructed his wife. “Wake the doctor, tell him Takleeth needs him!”_

_So possessed by coughing and hacking was Takleeth that she barely heard the instruction stated. When she realised what had happened and heard Menza leave the room she grabbed the king’s hand. “Your majesty!”_

_“It is alright. Help is coming.”_

_“Your majesty!” She insisted. “There is something you must understand, or all will be lost!”_

_“What?”_

_“Your queen! Tell me what you got back when I gave her back to you!”_

_“My love! My guiding light! My reason for living on!”_

_“What of your vision? When you stepped out into your kingdom you saw the suffering your inaction had bought, and you rectified it with the vigour of before you took to grieving. What of your daughter? You barely spoke to her once her mother passed.”_

_“You are right. You truly freed me from my grief.”_

_“No. Grief is natural, if you refuse to grieve lost love you will spend so much time avoiding it you will have no time to live. It is when you allow grief to be your master that there is trouble, it will wash you down a path not of your choosing and snatch life from your hands. Promise me, my king, never let grief be your master again.”_

_Thorae bowed his head. “I promise.”_

_The door opened behind them. “My king! There is something wrong with your Queen! I’ve ordered her to rest in her bed chamber!”_

_Filled with panic Thorae ran to the chamber. His wife stood, perfectly rigid at the window. Cautiously, he approached her. “Menza? Are you alright?”_

_Menza turned, all of her was neutral, he face, her posture, even her voice. “I am undamaged my king.”_

_As has been mentioned, Thorae was wise. He knew well enough what stood before him. “A xataar kelmva, a paper woman. You aren’t Menza, you never were.”_

_She looked at him, unfeeling without Takleeth’s influence._

_“What part of her do you have? Give it to me!”_

_The xataar kelmva removed the tip of her finger and held it out, shrivelled with mummification. The moment Thorae took it the woman became an inanimate paper figure._

_Thorae, filled with rage grabbed a spear from the wall and stormed to the physician’s room. Before he reached the door however he considered the old kelmep woman’s words. Without her doing what she did, he reasoned, he, his remaining family, and his kingdom would have fallen to ruin by this time. He opened her door unarmed with tears in his eyes._

_Only the doctor was in the room claiming his patient had simply disappeared. Trying to find her, he had made a grim discovery. Under Takleeth’s bed was the casket of the queen, containing her mummified remains._

_The queen was laid to rest that night. Thorae grieved once again and the kingdom prepared for more years without a leader. To their surprise however, he came back to ruling within a week, he ruled wisely and justly for the remainder of his life. Therefore he, his daughter and his kingdom lived happily ever after…_


	11. The Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short break could lead to disaster as the team gets separated. Will Pearl, Stevonnie, and Pilot find their friends before somebody else finds them? How can Garnet navigate in a temple where her future vision is unreliable? What else stalks this temple and what does it want?

“The End!”

“That was quite a story Pilot.” Said Pearl. “You’ll have to write it down for me.”

Pilot smirked.

“It was kind of sad at the end though, wasn’t it?” Stevonnie noted. Although they didn’t mention it, something in the story of a human falling in love with one of a long-lived kind and the inevitable tragedy struck slightly too close to home for the fusion.

“I suppose so.” Pilot agreed. “In truth it all depends how you look at it.”

“What do you mean?”

Pilot shook his head silently.

Mighty Spark looked him over. “You’ve been thinking about it again, haven’t you?”

“Yes. But I’ve come to terms with it.”

“With what?” Asked Pearl.

“I’ve made a lot of human friends, assuming I don’t get myself killed, I’m going to outlive all of them.” Pilot paused and sucked in air. Though he kept walking, his voice sounded as if it was edging closer and closer to tears. “And that’s ok.” Stevonnie and Pearl both put a hand on his back. “Ok, it’s not ok, it’s terrible. But when it happens, I’m going to be ok. They’d want me to keep doing what I’m doing…”

“Do you want to stop for a while?” Mighty Spark suggested as they entered a new room.

Pilot nodded. “Just for a moment.” His tone was back to normal but Pearl and Stevonnie helped him to a wall where he leant.

Almost immediately there was the sound of stone scraping against stone. In the blink of an eye the section of wall span, whisking Pilot, Pearl and Stevonnie to the other side.

“Stevonnie!” Garnet summoned a gantlet, ready to smash the wall down.

“Wait!” Mighty Spark cried. “The wall is seamless. Any part of it could be loadbearing, one wrong move could bring the whole temple down on our heads!”

“We shouldn’t take the risk unless they need us.” The fusion agreed, dispelling her weapon. She Shouted through the wall “Stevonnie! Pilot! Pearl! Call back if you can hear me!”

“We can hear you!” Stevonnie replied. “What was that just now?”

“You seem to have set off some kind of trap!” Mighty Spark explained. “Are you all alright?”

“We’re fine!”

“Describe your surroundings! Anything that looks like it’s meant to hurt or imprison you?”

“It’s kinda dark!” Stevonnie answered. “Your helmet looks really creepy in the dark Pilot.”

Pilot chuckled eerily.

“Stop that!” Pearl admonished. “Give me a moment.” Her gem lit up basking the room in a pale white light.

Stevonnie took in their surroundings. “Three stone walls and metal bars! I think we’re in a cage!”

“So, you’re trapped!?” Amethyst yelled.

Pilot eyed a trickle of water that ran over one of the bars. He took the rusted wet padlock and twisted, it snapped like a twig. He went to push the door open and it broke off its corroded hinges, falling forwards. “Not anymore!” He cheered.

“That’s all well and good but how are we going to find each other?” Pearl enquired.

Mighty Spark turned to Garnet. “You said your future vision could still predict the temple’s layout?”

“Yes!” The fusion concentrated on her fuzzy precognition. “Alright listen up! If you three keep going the direction we were heading, you will get to a courtyard. Wait for us there, I’ll direct us to it.”

“See you there then!” Stevonnie called.

“Be careful!” Pearl added.

“You to!” Garnet answered. She started to walk. “We should get going. They’ll probably beat us there as it is.”


	12. Following the Fusion, the Quartz, and the Metahuman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet, Amethyst, and Mighty Spark are hurrying to the meeting spot. Despite their speed there are a lot of rooms between them and there so Mighty Spark and Amethyst make conversation. Family, history, architecture, it's surprising how much you can talk while rushing to find your friends.

Garnet walked quickly through the rooms, checking her directions with future vision and leading the way. The path she took was winding, seemingly random in direction, but this place was built like a maze and, counterintuitively, her route was the fastest.

Being preoccupied navigating Garnet didn’t speak much. While they were equally concerned with finding the others Amethyst couldn’t stand the long uncertain silence. “Do you think they’ll be ok?”

Garnet only held her fingers to her temples as she fought the temple’s inherent unpredictability.

“I hope so.” Mighty Spark muttered. Seeing Amethyst trying to hide her worry he decided to ask a question to lighten the mood. “So, Amethyst, Pilot has explained to me all about how Pink Diamond was Steven’s mother and how you gems look after him and all but are you all his stepmothers, sisters, aunts?”

Amethyst thought for a moment then shrugged. “I don’t know. Gems don’t really have families usually. Greg described us as his aunts to his brother but that was to get him of our backs. I guess Steven and I are family and that’s all I need to know.”

“Of course. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“You didn’t. What about you and Axia?”

“What about us?” He asked.

“Well you’re like Pilot’s mom and dad, right?”

Mighty Spark chuckled then sighed. “Well, no. I mean, we looked after him but he’s still looking for his family.”

“Really?” She questioned

“Well, according to his uncle, his mother was a hill kelmep who died in childbirth and his father was a river kelmep who ran away before he was born.”

“Wait, there are different kinds of kelmep?”

“Yes. Like human ethnicities. So, for example Roxillan is a hill kelmep.”

“Ok, so how are river kelmep different?”

“Dark skin and hair like Pilot, but their eyes are usually a pale silver colour and their ears aren’t as long. Their ears are like humans but with little points at the top, like a vulcan.”

“Like a what?”

“Nevermind.”

“Alright then.” She smiled. “What about you? Where are your parents?”

“I don’t have any.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t born, I was made. My cells were constructed to convert electrical energy to kinetic energy, hook a few dozen of me up to batteries and you have the perfect law enforcement for a police state. If it weren’t for Monika, the Pilot before me, I’d probably have been deconditioned by now. She died about ten years before I found Pilot.”

“What was Monika like?”

“A lot like Pilot in some ways. She was bold, cunning, funny, she always had a plan cooking inside her head. She would get this look in her eyes when she opened a new portal… a glow…” He fell silent.

Garnet stopped walking. “You loved her.”

“Yes.”

For a while they continued quietly. They got to a door that Garnet pushed open. through the doorway was a small courtyard. There were two more sets of doors, one directly across from them and another to the left, slightly ajar.

“Is this where we’re meant to meet them?” Asked Amethyst.

“No.” Replied Garnet. “We have to go straight through and then turn right.”

Mighty Spark crouched and hovered his hand above the ground. “Residual warp energy.”

Amethyst leapt off the ground, shapeshifting into Dogcopter. “Is it dangerous?”

“Err, no.” He replied, slightly surprised. “Best guess is that a portal was left open here for a very long time.”

“How long?” She asked, turning back to her own form.

“Judging by how long the signature has lasted, I’d say a couple decades.”

Amethyst turned around. “Do you think it had something to do with this?”

The other two turned to see a set of glyphs carved into the wall. Mighty Spark examined them. “It’s Conceptual. Carved about a century after the stone was laid, carved in a hurry but deeply enough to be legible despite erosion. Whoever wrote this wanted it to be read centuries after it was written.”

“But what does it say?”

“I don’t know.”

“I thought you spoke conceptual with Pilot.”

“He taught me to speak it, not write it.”

“This isn’t important.” Garnet declared. “We can come back with Pilot, once we get to them.”

With a shared nod they all headed through the far exit, closing doors behind themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Unless there are any complaints I will probably be moving my upload day back to Wednesday as the pandemic has altered my schedule. Stay safe.


	13. The Grey Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Garnet expected, Pearl, Pilot, and Stevonnie got to the meeting spot before the rest did. What Garnet didn't know was that paper gems and something else would be there to meet them. When Stevonnie is incapacitated, the fight becomes three against two as Pilot and Pearl must come together to defeat the opponents and prevent them for closing in to their apprentice for the kill. This is no time to be afraid, it is time to be frightening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some bad language.

Pilot, Pearl, and Stevonnie made fast headway through the rooms, often they were through a room before it recognised Pilot’s presence and turned on its lights. Eventually they got to a door. As Pearl and Pilot pushed it open, moonlight met them.

The courtyard was far bigger than any of the others, it was long and rectangular, remains of stone benches and unidentifiable statuary decorated the edges. In the centre was a dry fountain.

Standing by the fountain were the two remaining paper gems, laying around and lowing occasionally. On the back of the ram-like gem was a humanoid figure. Now without the face wrappings they could see his pointed ears, dark grey, almost black, skin, and long white hair. At their angle they could tell his shield had been crafted to resemble a spiderweb. He sat utterly motionless; he did not even seem to breathe.

“A kelmep.” Stevonnie identified quietly.

Pilot did a double take between the fusion and the rider. “You what?” He whispered, exaggerating his offence.

“I…”

“So, every grey skinned humanoid with pointy ears looks like a kelmep to you?”

“Er…”

“Yes?” Replied Pearl, wondering if it was a trick question.

Pilot sighed. “He’s a drow, a type of elf. At least he was.”

“He’s a xataar kelm?” Asked Pearl.

Pilot nodded. “Seeing how much trouble the one at the entrance was we should probably avoid tangling with all of these guys until everyone is back together, perhaps we can hide up on the roof until Garnet and the others get here.”

Taking his advice, Pearl leapt up to the roof. The roof tiles however were not as secure as she had guessed so she slipped and fell on her face loudly with a clatter of masonry. All three xataar kelm turned their heads to the noise.

“Crap.”

“Language Pilot!” Pearl chided as she got up, ready for the worst.

The two gems trotted towards them, as they did the rider spoke in monotone. “Crap. Language. Pilot. Language identified as English. Message available.”

“Oh.” Stated Pilot. “What’s your message.”

The ram-like gem stopped about thirty feet away, the stag-like gem stopped a few steps closer. The drow took out a one-handed crossbow, pointed it at the Pilot, and spoke, clearly with no hint of emotion. “Halt intruder. Identify yourself and your business here.”

Stevonnie went to take the folded sword out of their pocket but Pilot’s hand stopped them. “Okay. I’m the Pilot.” He paused to see if the name triggered a violent response. When it didn’t, he continued. “That up there is Pearl.” Pearl waved slightly confusedly. “and this is Stevonnie.” Pilot stepped aside so the xataar kelm could see the fusion.

The drow’s eyes locked onto Stevonnie’s exposed midriff, he turned the crossbow robotically to their gem. “I will eliminate the pink diamond.”

“What?” The fusion exclaimed

“Of course you will.” Pilot deadpanned.

A crossbow bolt flew through the air, bouncing off Stevonnie’s shield. As they got their bearings, the stag charged Pilot and Stevonnie, Pilot dove out the way and Stevonnie blocked it with a bubble. They were knocked backwards, bouncing off the wall and colliding with the gem’s head.

The stag reared up and began to beat on the bubble with its hooves. So powerful was the assault that cracks started to form. Suddenly, the corrupted gem staggered sideways. Pearl had dived down and pierced its side with her spear. Stevonnie dropped the bubble and took the opportunity to skirt around their opponent.

Holding onto the spear she had embedded in the creature, Pearl reached for the tear shaped stone on the back of its neck. Suddenly it swung its antlers, catching Peal and throwing her towards Pilot, who had been trading flashbangs and crossbow bolts with the drow. As Pearl crashed into Pilot, the stag bounded after her.

Pearl and Pilot got up just in time to push against the antlers, Pilot pushed at one with a hand and foot while Pearl blocked the other with her spear. The corrupted gem was unable to hit them, but they were pined into a corner. The drow lined up a shot.

Seeing this, Stevonnie ran and jumped over the horns and teeth of the drow’s mount. The drow turned the crossbow to the closer target and fired. Stevonnie twisted in the air and the bolt grazed their cheek. The fusion kicked and broke off one of the weapon’s limbs. Suddenly their vision went blurry, their head started to spin, and they felt sick. They felt a dull pain and, suddenly, movement.

Pilot and Pearl struggled in horror as they saw the ram like gem bite down on their protégé’s leg and fling them out of the courtyard. “Stevonnie!” They both yelled.

“How did it catch them?” Pearl screamed.

“Drow use spider venom on their weapons! The bolt must have been poisoned!”

The drow turned his mount in the direction it had thrown Stevonnie, dropped the busted crossbow, and drew a shortsword. “I will eliminate the pink diamond.”

“We have to stop them!” Pearl screeched hysterically.

“I know!” Growled Pilot, fear for Stevonnie bring back his accent. “Any ideas how to get this huge fucker off us?”

Pearl took a deep breath to centre herself. She held out her hand to Pilot. “It worked with Peridot.”

“What if we can’t do it?”

“We have to try.” Pearl held Pilot’s hand in hers and pulled him towards her.

The flash of light caused the drow to snap its head in their direction to analyse the new threat. Standing just under twice Pearl’s height was a thin, eerie figure. Pilot’s suit had morphed into a black and blue breastplate over a jumpsuit of muted pink, yellow, and blue. On her head was a black knightly helm with visor, which the Pilot’s wavy blue line resonated across. The helmet covered her entire head except for her gem, which peeked out through a gap between the visor and helm, and her lower face. Steel coloured tear tracks traced over her mist grey skin.

Warp Pearl stood over her opponent slightly, matching them in strength. “I’m sorry.” She whispered despondently. A third arm, pale white and sprouting from her shoulder blade, reached out and touched the corrupted gem’s mane. Warp Pearl would not be frightened, not of a Diamond’s abandonment, not of a dead uncle, not for Stevonnie’s wellbeing. Fear only leads to weakness and mistakes; she would be rational. All her fear had to go somewhere, however.

The corrupted gem shook, then it froze with existential terror. Warp Pearl traced her alabaster fingers across its body as she walked around and mounted it. Under her silent command the frightened creature turned around.

The drow had directed his mount to face them, sword drawn.

With a pitying sigh the fusion reached up to her gem and drew her weapon. In many ways it was like Pearl’s spear but longer, like a lance. She aimed for her opponent’s chest.

They charged.

Being the longer weapon, the lance struck first, it scraped along their opponent’s shield leaving a scratch as they came into his swords range. Warp Pearl turned her lance, parrying the blade as she passed. They both turned after a few of their mounts strides and charged again. Again, a stalemate.

Twice more they clashed without victor. Warp Pearl stared her opponent down. “This is going nowhere.” She grumbled dejectedly. The drow prepared to charge again. The fusion did not bid her mount to move. Instead she touched her white hand to her own gem. Out from her gem projected a spectral, holographic mass. As it soared towards the charging enemy the mass of grey light morphed into a mournful image of pink diamond. The ghost passed through the elf and gem before collapsing into sparks.

The corrupted gem ground its hooves into the stone floor, leaving deep gouges. It bucked its rider, turned, and ran, smashing the thick stone door to rubble in its terror.

Without a mind to be scared but also without his creator’s instruction in this unexpected situation, the remaining xataar kelm sharply twisted his head in all directions, trying to find useful information as he sat on the ground.

In another dimension, in the underground city of Menzoberranzan was a drow slaver captain named Rikerin Melafin. He had had a fingertip bitten off by a drow-like creature who he had caught stealing paper and a set of armaments. To his shame, she had escaped with her bounty. At this time, he was resting. Suddenly, he awoke from his trance, screaming in terror of a grey lady. Later the city would take this as a sign from Lolth and he would be taken as consort in a family far higher than his station would hope for. In the highest echelons of the spider queen’s temple however, priestesses would discuss the possibility of Eilistraee’s meddling and assassins would be sent.

Back in the present, in the universe of humans and gems, Rikerin’s paper facsimile sat motionless. Warp Pearl took the stone from her mount as she dismounted, causing it to collapse. She stood over her opponent. She swung her bladed lance like a scythe. “Goodnight.” The false drow body and the spinning paper heart within were split in twain.

Warp Pearl dissipated her weapon and folded her white hand safely behind her back. She contained the blueish stone in a light grey bubble and sent it home. She would have to find the remaining xataar kelm later, ensuring Stevonnie’s wellbeing was a clear priority. She leapt gracefully onto the rooftop in the direction her fellow fusion had been thrown. There was a crash from behind her. She turned to see the gemless paper husk of the ram like monster roll back into the courtyard, its assailants walking in after it.


	14. A Message on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie lands in a courtyard some distance away from where Pearl and Pilot are fighting the xataar kelm. The bite on their leg and their lack of confidence to heal themselves leaves Stevonnie with a terrible decision. The young fusion is lost, frightened, wounded, and alone, well, not alone. a grey skinned woman has found them...

Stevonnie rolled over and opened her eyes. Their vision was clear, though they still felt a bit sick. Looking around they seemed to be in another courtyard, squarish and smaller than the one they had been thrown from. Three doors, each on a different wall.

They sat up. Sharp pain coursed from their leg. Stevonnie inspected the injured limb. It could have been worse; the gouges were surprisingly shallow and were only bleeding a little. “Don’t be such a baby.” The fusion muttered to themselves. They licked their palm and applied their saliva to the wound. Nothing happened. “Huh? I guess I can’t heal myself.”

Stevonnie tried to get up, the shock of movement caused blood to spurt from their wound. Having Connie’s first aid training, they immediately sat back down and applied pressure, the bleeding reduced. “I need to get this bandaged. Pearl has bandages. Where’s Pearl?” Stevonnie looked around again, they considered calling out but thought better of it. Roxillan might hear them and get to them first.

“Maybe I can unfuse and put all the bite onto Connie?” Stevonnie considered. “That’s a horrible idea! I don’t want to leave Connie with this!” They retorted. “But then Seven could heal her!” the fusion explained. “But Connie’s leg is smaller, this would be a worse injury on her! You could lose your leg! I don’t know if my powers can fix that!” Were they angry? “You’ve brought someone back to life! It will be fine!” Scared? “You don’t know that! I’d never forgive myself!” A tear rolled down Stevonnie’s left cheek. “Why can’t you just have faith in yourself!” a tear fell across the right. They began to shake and curl up into a ball, neither of their components were ready for what the felt coming. “Hold it together, hold it together, hold it together, hold it together, hold it together, hold it together, hold it together…”

“All this over a little scrape?” a concerned voice from the doorway across from them asked.

Stevonnie looked up. “Who- who’s there?”

Through the crack in the door stepped a woman with dark grey skin and short pointy ears. She seemed to be wearing a blue cotton dress and sandals but the clothes where dirty. What seemed to be multicolour bandages were wrapped along the entirety of her right arm and around her left wrist, mostly black, silver and red. A small bag sat at her hip. “It’s alright. Let me have a look at you.” She carefully approached them.

“Are you a drow doctor?”

The woman tutted. “Does every grey skinned humanoid with pointed ears look like a drow to you?” She smiled good humouredly. “I’m a kelmep.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know kelmep could have brown eyes and hair like you.”

She stroked her dark brown braid. “So, you do know of kelmep. It is true that most of my kind cannot, but I inherit my eyes and hair from my mother. My father was, shall we say, fond of your kind.”

“So you’re half human?” Stevonnie asked as the kelmep took their leg and bound it in paper bandages from her bag.

“That I am.” She smiled. Though it looked as if it was simply paper painted green, gold, and white, Stevonnie’s pain seemed to almost entirely vanish as she wrapped it around the leg.

“So am I!” the fusion beamed, standing with a little help. “Well actually I’m three quarters human at the moment.”

“At the moment?”

“It’s hard to explain.”

The kelmep laughed. “Hang on now, I haven’t lived two hundred and seventy-eight years to be brushed off like that! Let’s have a look at you.” Stevonnie allowed her to look them over, tolerating a couple of prods to the sternum and forehead. “Unless my eyes deceive me, I’m looking upon one person. But I’d be damned if my hearts don’t feel two souls. Are you two stuck?”

“What? No! I can come apart whenever I feel like it.”

“Oh good. So, I suppose one of you is a full human and the other one is the half breed like me?”

“Yes. Half gem.”

“Gem?” she looked down at the stone on their stomach. Her face grew deathly pale and she backed away in fear. “Have you come to kill me?”

“No!” Stevonnie responded. “Why would you think that?”

“I’m sorry, I feared for a moment you may have been the Pink Diamond.”

Stevonnie blinked in surprise. “Why are you afraid of them?”

“The message, written by members of my kind. Behind you.”

Stevonnie turned around, there on the wall was a message carved into the stone. They read it aloud:

_…_

_At the advice of the Pilot, who saved us and brought us here a century ago, we flee once again._

_Though it pains us to leave the loved ones found here, we know to take even one would incur the wrath of the Pink Diamond._

_If this message is found by the Pink Diamond, do not take our retreat as your victory. If the Pilot be willing, we will return with the power to overthrow your tyranny and take back our new Motherland of the Chorus._

_Koras Maatrbhoomi! Where humans and kelmep may finally live in peace!_

_…_

“You can read it?” the kelmep questioned.

“Yes, I can read.”

“Fascinating.” When the fusion gave her a strange look in response, the woman continued. “Well, after years of avoiding drow and other horrors in a lightless cave system, I suddenly found myself standing in front of this very carving with nothing but my bag and a drow’s fingertip. When I read the message, I thought the Pink Diamond would be after me at any moment. Fortunately, I found a room containing preserved paper so I did the only thing I could think of, I made weapons and xataar kelm from anything I could find. First the drow fingertip, then the creatures I found stalking this temple. I ran out of paper, so I was forced to raid the nearby city. I can’t find any more of those creatures in this temple, so I plan to head out and find more.”

“You don’t have to.” Stevonnie explained. “Pink Diamond is gone.”

“How long have they been dead?”

“About 14 years.”

The kelmep gave a relieved sigh. “Thank the Chorus.”

“You have to stop making corrupted gems into paper people.”

“But they’re such powerful beasts, and they are almost entirely independent.”

“That’s because they’re still alive! They used to be like people but they’re sick.”

The woman shook. “Chorus curse me! It must be a lie! What have I done!?”

She collapsed but Stevonnie caught her. “Are you alright?”

The kelmep pointed upward. “Does the voice of justice come for my crimes?”

Looking in the direction she pointed Stevonnie saw them. Standing on the roof was Garnet, Amethyst, Mighty Spark, and a tall three-armed fusion. “Meygareath?” Warp Pearl exclaimed in quiet disbelief.

The kelmep fainted.


	15. Who am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pilot is united with Meygareath, a half-kelmep he knew in the days before his world ended. Thanks to his helmet, she doesn't recognize him at first. When his natural speaking voice misdirects the papersmith, what secrets will she reveal?

Meygareath awoke to the sound of flowing water and blue light. She had been sat up against a stone pillar. She looked around; she knew where she was. She was in the chamber where the river flowed through the temple, it was somehow illuminated, allowing her to see she wasn’t alone. The one she had bandaged was missing but standing either side of her were a human boy and girl. “Oh! You’re awake! How do you feel?” The girl asked.

Meygareath noticed only the boy had a bandaged leg. “I’m fine. You didn’t end up taking the whole injury after all that, did you pet?”

“Pet?”

“No. We both took half.” Connie explained.

“Then I healed her.” Steven elaborated.

“Healed? There’s not a scratch on her.”

“Yeah! I have magical healing spit.”

Meygareath grimaced briefly prompting a small laugh from Connie. “Yeah, it’s a little gross.” She turned around and called. “Guys! She’s awake!”

Others approached. One appeared human, but the others, though humanoid, appeared to be many different colors and proportions. Meygareath recognized most of them from the roof before she had fainted, two of them were new, however. The skinny pale one however had many of the features of the tallest that had shaken them so, and the one whose face was hidden by a helmet wore clothes of a similar color and texture. She pointed at them. “You two were like these two.” She pointed at the children.

“Yes.” Pearl replied. “We were a fusion; we will explain it all on the way back.”

“Back where?”

“Back to Beach City.”

Meygareath looked around, concerned.

Not noticing, the gem continued. “Oh! You are going to love it there! It’s got all the amenities humans could- “

The half-kelmep stood up. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me how your fusion knew my name!”

“I knew it.” Pilot clarified.

“How?”

“I’m a kelmep. Before the world ended, we knew each other. But I don’t go by the name you knew me as anymore. I’m the Pilot now, but I would still very much like to be your friend.” He put a hand on her shoulder.

She gently held his wrist and took his hand off her shoulder. “Pilot? Like the name in the carving?”

“He was my predecessor. The title is handed down from Pilot to apprentice.”

“Then tell me, how did I know you?”

Pilot took a deep breath. “Your ship took us in when we escaped from Ulndae.” He shifted to his natural speaking voice. “I sounded more like this.”

Before he could say another word Meyareath embraced him, sobbing. “I thought I would never see you again! I’ve been so alone!”

“Me too! I thought you were dead!” He put his arms around her, trying to hold back tears as she wept into his shoulder. For a while they stood. Steven briefly reached out a supportive hand, but Pilot flashed a smile on his screen, showing it was alright.

Eventually, Megareath withdrew from him. “How did you survive?

Pilot stood beside his mentor and patted his bicep. “This guy, Mighty Spark, saved me.”

“You have my eternal gratitude Mr. Spark.”

“I couldn’t well have left them.” He smiled.

“Many humans would have.” Meyagreath turned back to Pilot. “Where is your daughter Pilot?”

“D-daughter?” Pilot stammered. “Oh yes! She’s safe at home.” He lied.

Pearl and Steven opened their mouths to question him, but Garnet and Amethyst cupped their hands over their mouths before they could get a sound out.

“Do you have any idea what happened to her father?”

Tears began anew on Meygareath’s face. “Barnaborous died searching for you. He wanted you to know that he loved you and your daughter.”

“Barnaborous, the Helmsman? Your father?”

“Yes?”

Pilot gulped, his mouth went dry as his next question crept up his throat. “Meygareath, who do you think I am?”

“The Pilot?”

“Say who you think I was. Please!” He yelled, slightly louder than he had intended.

She stepped away from him in fright. “You aren’t Roxillan?”

“No.” He whispered. Pilot opened and removed his helmet.

Meygareath gasped, though the kelmep before her was growing pale with shock she recognized the coloration and face shape. “Rod- Roxillan, forgive me!”

“Was she ashamed of me?”

“No. Ulndae threatened to have you killed if you ever found out.”

“So Roxillan is my mother?”

“Yes. Where is she?”

Pilot felt numb, every time he had killed Roxillan flashed through his mind. He shook his head. “Nobody answer that. I’ll explain it to her when I’ve calmed down.” His voice was flat, as if he could not resolve what voice he wanted to express.

“How did you get so mature? You’re not even on your second decade.”

“Ulndae found me.” He pointed at his scar.

“Wosvir ahi attlabakir! I’ll kill him!” the paper bandages on Meygareath’s right arm dropped and wrapped around themselves, forming a javelin.

“Beat you to it.”

She stared at him in horror.

Still pale, still numb, still monotone, Pilot spoke to the room. “Would you excuse me?” He headed for a door.

“Are you ok?” Asked Steven.

“No.” Pilot stated, still walking.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Give me a moment.” Pilot stepped into the courtyard and closed the door behind himself.

For a moment there was silence, followed by a furious yell, accompanied by loud crying and the sound of fists hitting stone. Steven approached the door, but Mighty Spark gently pulled him back. “I’ll take care of him.”

As Mighty Spark stepped through the door Steven saw a brief glimpse of Pilot curled up on the floor, one hand clutching his head the other repeatedly striking the ground.

Through the thick stone door, they heard yelling, occasional profanity, but mostly crying. They could hardly hear Mighty Spark; not once did he raise his voice. For a minute it was silent, then the door opened.

As the pair entered again Pilot could be seen to have had some of the color return to his face. He had a gash on his forehead that bled quite badly. He knelt down. “Steven, you couldn’t give me a hand?”

Steven ran over and kissed his forehead, the wound closed and vanished. “What happened.”

“I headbutted a wall.” Pilot stood up, turning his attention to his half-sister. “How many xataar kelm did you make?”

“Only a few.”

“Then we got them all.” He forced a smile at his compatriots. He looked back to Meygareath. “In that case, you need to take your clothes off.” He began to undo the back of his space suit.

Meygareath made a plethora of surprised and accusatory looks at the equally shocked gems and humans. “What have you been teaching her!?”

“The humans in the city you raided are looking for you. You will wear my space suit and all of you will take the car back to Koras and take the warp pad home. I’ll have Axi bring in the ship and I’ll fly back.”

“A flying ship?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, but we can’t get changed here!”

“Why not?” Pilot asked, his top half striped down to a black chest binder.

Meygareath jerked her head towards Mighty Spark and Steven. Mighty Spark had already turned his head calmly and respectfully, Steven was covering his eyes, blushing madly.

Pilot sighed. “Fine.” He took out his towel. “Garnet, Pearl could you hold this up for us.”

Thus, while the gems held the towel like a screen, the two kelmep swapped clothes. Pilot had suggested that he was fine in just his underwear and the conductive ribbons and nodes that made the base of his warp suit, but Steven, Pearl, and Meygareath had insisted he wear something, so he had put on Meygareath’s skirt.

Once they were done Pilot helped Meygareath put on his helmet. “It’s so stuffy in here.” She commented. “Why do you hide your face like this?”

“I don’t like how I look.” The others had heard him say things to the effect before, but the bluntness hurt.

“Why not?” She asked, putting a hand to his cheek.

“I’m ugly.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“I’m a boy nowadays.”

She blinked before giving a smile of understanding. “And?”

“Well, ‘beautiful’ isn’t really a word most men want to be thought of as.”

“King Thorae was often called beautiful, and I can see it in you. Your hair, your face, your profile. You are my beautiful brother and I’m so happy to have found you again Pilot.”

“Thank you.” Pilot wandered toward the river.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Asked Pearl.

“No. You go ahead; I need some time alone.”

“You aren’t going to hurt yourself again, are you?” Steven questioned, worried.

“No Steven, I just want to collect my thoughts.” He gave them a thumbs up and a smile. “Go on then, the sooner you go the sooner I can stop moping, head home, and get out of this dress!”

The others left, Meygareath and Mighty Spark hung about at the door for a moment until Pilot waved them off. Alone, Pilot turned to the river’s edge. The river moved slowly enough that he could see his reflection.

His long ears were painfully noticeable to him, they were reminiscent of Roxillan and Ulndae, minus the whiskers found on the eartips of biologically male kelmep. The comparison was painful, more so than the scar. He wished he had inherited more from Barnaborous. He wondered if his current mood would have been lifted if a pair of light silver eyes looked back at him from the water, instead of the almost black irises he stared upon now.

He blinked back into reality and cleared his head. Meygareath had called him beautiful, he could not see it, but the papersmith had always been straight with him. Even when, as a child, he had asked her if she knew his father she hadn’t lied, she had told him that it wasn’t her place to say. If his new stepsister said he was beautiful, he could believe it, even if he couldn’t see it. He could believe it for her.

Pilot smiled, then looked down at the dress. Not his style. As there was nobody around, he took it off and tied it around his waist. For a while, Pilot wondered around the room, enjoying the quiet and temporarily free from his negative thoughts. He had gained all the answers his uncle, or grandfather he should say, had sought to deny him. The furious, deranged Ulndae, who had called him a blight on the Ephanta lineage was himself the only flaw in Pilot’s heritage.

Pilot came back to the river and frowned, he glared at the reflection of his scar. He smiled proudly. “Ulndae. This has been a long time coming. If you watch me from some dark tone of the Chorus, know this. I disown you.” He laughed and slapped a hand to his chest, feeling his heart spin faster. “This man you see before you is not your family! I am the Pilot, and I am no Ephanta!” He caught his breath. Unexpectedly the words had hurt to say, but he took none back. He traced his foot along the water’s surface, the ripples breaking up the image of his scar, but the blackness of the dead veins didn’t entirely disappear. The nodes of his skeletal warp suit hummed and glowed blue. “I can’t push away my entire history, there’s too much. If I let my past push me around however, of course it will swallow me up. I have to accept I can’t change what happened to me and define my own life in the present despite it.” He brought his other foot in line, on the river’s surface.


	16. New Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meygareath has been a papersmith for a river tribe, a fugitive of the drow, and a raider out of desperation. She now has a chance to live as a citizen of Beach City. She has at least some of her family back and she free from having to look over her shoulder for danger.  
> Such a change in her life calls for a change of clothes. Pilot most certainly agrees.

Greg looked up from the sandwich he was making as the warp chimed. “Hey, welcome back guys! You were gone a while! Are you alright Pilot?”

Meygareath, still fully enclosed in Pilot’s suit, was clinging to Garnet’s arm trying to keep from fainting again. The metal carriage that had been drawn at such speeds by some invisible roaring beast had been one thing, the ‘warp pad’, as the Woman-Pearl had called it, was a test on her sanity. Not only had the blue light replaced the ancient temple garden with this brightly lit wooden room but it had somehow shifted the time from midnight to sunset in the span of moments. She tried her best to compose herself as she stepped cautiously off the pad.

“She isn’t Pilot.” Steven explained. “She’s his stepsister.”

Greg reached behind him for something to defend himself. “Roxillan!?” He drew a small rubber spatula.

Meygareath raised her arms defensively. “What manner of weapon is that?”

Steven hurriedly stepped between them, facing his father. “No! Not Roxillan! Everybody calm down.” He turned to help the half-kelmep remove Pilot’s helmet. “This is Meygareath wosva ah Xataar Ahnlaskir, or the Papersmith in English. Did I say it right?”

“Yes.” She said nervously. “Hello.”

“Greg Universe.” He replied, subtly putting the spatula away. “Can I get you anything? Something to eat? Drink?”

“I could do with a change of clothes. I can hardly breathe in this.” She gestured to the tight-fitting suit.

“I quite agree!” Pearl interjected. “I always wondered why Pilot dressed so impractically, he hardly ever leaves the Earth’s atmosphere.”

“Hardly ever?”

“I’m sure we can find you a set of spare clothes! You can change in the bathroom, you could probably do with a wash to, I suppose you didn’t have a shower in that old temple.”

“Shower?”

Pearl guided Meygareath to the bathroom and showed her how the utilities worked.

While Meygareath showered, Steven, Mighty Spark, and Greg searched for a change of clothes and Steven filled his dad in on all that had transpired.

“Roxillan is Pilot’s mom?” Greg echoed.

“According to Meygareath.” His son confirmed.

“How is he holding up?”

“He was really upset when he found out, but he seemed to be calm when we left him.”

Greg looked up to Mighty Spark. “Are you sure it was a good idea to leave him there so soon after all that?”

Mighty Spark grinned. “I know what you mean, but Pilot needs his breathing room, he always has. I’ve given him all the support he will accept in one day. Knowing him he’s probably embarrassed about it. He knows I’m there for him.” A buzz came from his cargo shorts. He took out an old flip phone and inspected the text. “There we go! It’s from Axia.”

“What did she say?” Asked Steven.

“Pilot just came aboard half naked. Told me to tell you he is fine, and we are on our way to Beach City. He’s only wearing his underwear and the skeleton of his warp suit. Where is the rest of his suit?” He read aloud. “Told you he’d be fine.”

“You left him without clothes?” Greg exclaimed.

“We didn’t have any spare.” Mighty Spark explained. “He was wearing a dress when we left.” He noted, texting Axia as such.

His phone almost instantly blew up with concerned and angry texts sent at a rate only an AI with near lightspeed processing could produce. Choice texts included, “You put my Pilot in a dress!?”, “Did Roxillan mock his gender identity again?” and, “Who did he steal a dress from?”. Mighty Spark watched the screen for a moment, not deigning to read all 99+ texts aloud with their motherly paranoia. A final text came through a few moments later, as he knew it would. “I just spoke with Pilot. Sorry for accusing. Will be back soon.”

Mighty Spark put the phone away and helped the other two pick out some clothes, mostly Greg’s old merchandise, and handed them to Pearl, who took them to Meygareath.

The half-kelmep stepped out of the bathroom in her sandals, a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt reading, “Mr Universe”.

“Pilot should be here soon.” Said Mighty Spark. “Let’s go out on the beach to meet him.”

With the agreement of the others they all left the house. As they stepped onto the beach a familiar car pulled up.

“Mom? Dad?” Connie exclaimed.

Connie’s parents stepped out of the car. “You aren’t normally out this late.” Doug explained. “We were getting worried.” Despite his words both he and his wife seemed calm and to be smiling.

“You could have called.” Priyanka noted. “Even if you were out of your coverage area you could have used that earpiece communicator thing Pilot gave you. We still have the receiver at home.”

“You mean the dimensional entanglement communicator?” Mighty Spark smiled. “I’m afraid that wouldn’t work at long range while both sides are in the same universe.” He strode over to them to explain further.

While the others went to speak with the Maheswarans and tell them of the day’s events, Meygareath caught Greg by the shoulder. “A question, Universe.”

Garnet stopped and turned around. 

“Sure, fire away.” He replied.

The half-kelmep looked into his eyes, her head cocked slightly. “When I arrived, you mistook me for Roxillan and drew a weapon on me.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t nice to be…”

“Why do you fear her so?”

Greg rubbed the back of his neck. “Well she’s not a nice person, she’s dangerous.”

Meygareath narrowed her eyes. “Roxillan is a saint, she would never hurt anyone, she acted as nurse on our ship.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

She exhaled angrily. “Any other claims?” She turned. “Aar delmep! All humans are the same. Accusing all that is different of evil!”

“Hey now!” Greg responded. He wasn’t aggressive in his tone, merely assertive, demanding a fair shake. “I’m not just calling her that because she’s a kelmep. She’s hurt people. Kofi, a friend of mine, she broke into his house, stole clothes from his children, and broke his arm!”

“She must have been desperate.”

“She’s tried to kidnap Steven and Connie multiple times.”

“Kidnap?”

“According to Pilot she’s killed a lot of people too. I’m sorry I was the one you had to hear all this from.”

Meygareath shook her head. “No, I am sorry. I heard the truth in your words when you first spoke, but I refused to accept them. How could she have changed so?”

“I can offer some answers.” Garnet offered. She put a hand on Greg’s shoulder. “We need some privacy Greg.” Greg nodded and walked away to check on his son. “Pilot told me this in confidence, but I can see it would do more harm than good to keep it from you.” She sat down on the sand, facing the shore. She patted the ground next to her.

Meygareath sat beside her. “Then you will tell me?”

“There isn’t much to tell. When Pilot and Roxillan were separated from your crew, Roxillan started to talk to herself. It started in her sleep but apparently her talking became near constant.”

“What did she say?”

“According to Pilot it seemed to be half a conversation, she would switch between pleas for his safety and agreeing to something.”

“What happened next?”

They were interrupted as Pilot’s ship soared over the horizon at speed towards them. Its front thrusters were already open slowing it down. The hurricane like noise faded to a gentle warbling as it came to a stop above the ocean. The hatch on the underside of the ship opened and Pilot dropped to the sea. There was no hint of a splash. He stood up and skated towards the beach.

Pilot wore not a space suit, which he had a couple spares of, but far more contemporary attire. He wore dark blue jeans and black trainers. His torso bore a black hooded jacket, the hood down, on top of a neon blue t-shirt. His hands were covered with thin black gloves. This was clearly not one of his disguises, his wavy line symbol was emblazoned in black across his t-shirt and the nodes of his warp suit were woven into the clothes, the only evidence of their existence being blue lights and two strips of conductive ribbon leading to the two nodes on his temples. A pair of sunglasses hung from his jacket pocket.

“Hi guys.” He smiled, slightly nervous. He stepped onto the sand and the lights on his clothes switched off, vanishing.

“You finally got it.” Mighty Spark grinned, clapping a hand to his shoulder. “Decent form for your first time.” He laughed proudly.

“Nice threads fly boy!” Amethyst exclaimed. “Where’d you get them from.”

“Axi and I made them a while ago. I was just thinking how much of a hassle a spacesuit is to wear, with the helmet and everything. I thought I’d try something more comfortable.”

“Well they look good on you Pilot.” Steven assured him.

“Yeah! You look great!” Amethyst added. “You gotta come to a party or something with me wearing those!”

“Thank you.” Pilot replied. “Did anything happen before I arrived?”

Meygareath held his hand in hers. “I know about Roxillan.”

Pilot only brought her in and held her.


	17. Unnecessary Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Meygareath found, Pilot has gathered more family than he ever hoped to attain. Perhaps he is not done gaining family however. With his biological father dead and his birth mother... Roxillan, any hopes he had of finding his kelmepi parents are dashed.
> 
> But who was there in his darkest moments? Who were the people who raised him with love and selflessness, desiring nothing more in return than for him to be happy? Who was the AI who loved him more than his mother ever did? Who was the man who made Pilot the person he is today? And what will he say when Pilot asks to be his son?

As evening had turned to night, Connie’s Parents had taken her home, Pilot had brought the ship to land on the beach and invited Meygareath to live in his old room for the time being. She had agreed and turned in for the night. Steven and the gems had bid Pilot and his mentor goodnight before also turning in.

Mighty Spark opened a portal leading to his cabin, basking in broad daylight. He gazed up at the moon. “Of all the challenges that come with being an interdimensional traveler, jet lag is the one that still gets me.” He laughed to himself.

“Old man?” A familiar voice asked behind him.

“Upstart?” He smiled, turning to his apprentice.

“Before you go, can we talk?”

“Always.” He sat on the rim of the portal. “What’s on your mind?”

Pilot remained standing, fingers locked together. “If all goes well in the future, I’ll retire one day. Pass the baton of Pilot on to Stevonnie.”

“Yes. Are you worried you won’t want to retire? Things haven’t been too different for me since I retired, I still travel the universe, get into trouble. The only real difference is I come check on you sometimes.” He laughed.

“I’m not too worried about that.” Pilot replied. “It’s just that when I retire Stevonnie will be the Pilot and I’ll be someone else. You went back to your old name after you retired right?”

“Yes. Before Monika found me, I was Mighty Anti-Pilot Unit 101 1984. I took off the serial code and the words I found distasteful, added Monika’s nickname for me as a surname and took it as a name.”

“What about my old name?”

“What about it?”

“to start with, my first name is distinctly feminine in kelmepi culture.”

“I see, of course. Well, you don’t have to keep your old name obviously. I’m sure Meygareath knows plenty of male kelmepi names. Is there a male equivalent to your birth name?”

“There is.” Pilot smiled. “There’s also the problem of my last name.”

“Oh?”

“I have no Ephanta I wish to consider family; I don’t want that name.”

“Well nobody’s stopping you from changing your last name too.”

“I know. I had an idea on what I wanted it to be.” Pilot wrung his hands.

“Really? What were you thinking of?”

“Well.” He took a deep breath. “I hadn’t expected this to be so hard. I had this conversation with Axi on the flight over. She said yes but she doesn’t have a surname. Not that that matters! But she wasn’t the only one who raised me. So, I’m asking if you’d be my… I could be your… if you’d like to…”

Mighty Spark stood up with a smile. “Do you remember when I tried to put you in an orphanage because I thought my work was too dangerous to bring a child along?”

“It was less than a week after you’d saved me. You placed me with forged papers enough that I could pass for a half drow duchess.”

“The best life I thought I could give you. You escaped and got back on the ship before I had left Waterdeep, twice! Then you said, in what English you knew, ‘I don’t wanna live with the elveses, I wanna live with Axi and you!’ I was stunned.” He sighed. “I didn’t know it then, but that was when I decided to live for you.” He put both hands on Pilot’s shoulders. “You want my name boy? It would be my honor.”

“Thank you.” Pilot swallowed back some relieved tears. Abruptly he pulled back out of his mentor’s hands.

Greg had been caught in the awkward position of not wanting to spy and not wanting to ruin the moment by starting his van. “Oh, hey guys! I’ll give you some space.”

“It’s fine Greg. We’ve said all that needs saying.” Pilot replied, attempting stoicism. “Men like us understand each other, I wouldn’t diminish the old man with unnecessary words.”

“No, you wouldn’t.” Stated Mighty Spark. Suddenly he drew Pilot into a hug. “Those words could never diminish me.” Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. “I love you son!”

“I love you dad.” He replied quietly.


	18. For Want of a Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is to attempt to save White Diamond and thus Homeworld in one week's time. Steven knows it will be hard but also has hope that a second gem war can be averted if everybody just talks. Others have other ideas. 
> 
> The hound knows Steven has the power, they only need to push him away from his moralist posturing and they will have created a god capable of keeping his universe at peace and possibly even reuniting them with their Pilot as thanks.
> 
> The hound knows Steven won't take the steps to godhood gladly. Men reach for godhood when they are desperate, when they need a miracle to save those they love. The only question is who Steven loses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains foul language and references to death, execution, the offering of tobacco to a minor, and intentional application of psychological damage by a villain.

Steven had needed the news of Pilot’s adoption, the upcoming mission to Homeworld was tying knots in his stomach, and the good news had been just the cure. They had celebrated at Bar Meria and Mighty Spark had invited some of his old friends too.

The evening after that party Steven had dropped into bed and fell soundly asleep.

Steven stepped into a parlor room. The room was windowless and illuminated only by a low fireplace. Somebody, possibly a man, sat in an armchair, smoking a cigar and reading a newspaper. Steven’s eyes were drawn away from the person, to look at the draws and cabinets filled to the brim with neatly folded newspaper clippings. He had almost forgotten he wasn’t alone when an impossibly distant voice spoke to him. “Greetings Mr. Universe.”

Steven tried to look at him but was distracted by the firelight. “Hello, who are you?”

“My my. You are special…”

“Special how?”

“Most people don’t care who I am, they only want to know what I can do for them. No wonder your fusion with the lovely Miss Maheswaran is apprenticed to the Pilot. Congratulations by the way.” Steven’s attention was drawn to a packet of cylindrical items seemingly made of brown paper next to a packet of matches on a side table by the armchair. “Do you smoke?”

“No.” The boy replied, seating himself on another armchair that he had just noticed. “How did you know we’re his apprentice?” There was the sound of paper hitting wood, Steven looked to see a newspaper on his side table. He picked it up, it was dated to the day Connie’s parents had met Mighty Spark for the first time. “I didn’t know there was a Delmarva Gazette.”

“It’s my own publication.” The voice replied. “I mean, there’s always corporate meddling but I feel my stories get up close and personal.” They almost sounded passionate.

The headline read, “Fusion Stevonnie Declared Next Pilot!” Underneath was a picture of Stevonnie and Pilot shaking hands, the camera angled so the sun setting into the sea was between them.

“I understand the popular motive to put it on the front page, but page two is the better story in my opinion.” They said forlornly.

Steven opened the paper, quickly flipping the third page over to the back when he saw a large picture of Kiki Pizza in a bikini under the title, “Beach City Babes!” He was about to call it out to the voice when he read the title of page two. “Steven and Connie: Love Built on Sand or Diamonds?” A photo of their first kiss had been placed beneath.

Steven clutched the paper angrily. “What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t know anything about our relationship! How are you getting all these pictures?”

“Calm down Steven. It’s not like you to fly off the handle. I share your feelings on that story, but marketing kept saying the people want romantic drama. Will they? Won’t they? I actually meant the article at the bottom of the page.”

Steven examined the smaller article. “White Diamond: The Two of us are More Than Enough for Era Three!” The article was about a supposed interview with White Diamond discussing her plans for a new Homeworld, led by her and her mysterious new ally. The information was hedged in technical terminology and very ungemlike metaphors, making it impossible for Steven to glean anything useful for his plans.

“Who are you?” Steven repeated, still cross.

“Who would you like me to be? A friend? An ally? Somebody to feel safe around?”

“I’d like that, so long as you don’t hurt anyone.”

“Of course, I won’t hurt anyone.” They smiled. Steven found he could finally take a proper look at Garnet, sitting in the chair opposite him. “After all… I’m made of love.” Her gentle smile seemed genuine.

“That isn’t what I-.”

The alleged fusion interrupted him. “So, one week until it’s back to Homeworld. How are you feeling?”

“Nervous I guess?”

“Don’t be. Have you read that week’s Delmarva Gazette?”

“That week’s?”

“It’s still in the works of course, but here’s the first draft.” Garnet handed him a strip of paper that read as follows;

_…_

_ Steven Universe Victorious! _

_As he read the traitor White Diamond her last rites and lined the breaking point with her gem, few can imagine the thoughts of Steven Universe, son of Pink Diamond._

_With the pulling of the trigger Steven Universe ends the totalitarian regime that blackened the first two eras of Homeworld’s empire. With his stunning charisma, power, and determination to forge a better universe by any means, Mr. Universe promises to be a turning point for gem kind._

_It is said that, before these events, Steven Universe had never taken a life. Having captured and interrogated White Diamond however, it became apparent to the burgeoning emperor that his enemy was a danger to humanity and all gemkind alike. As his cross to bear, Steven Universe handled the execution personally with respect an honor. White Diamond’s remains have been disposed of in an undisclosed location._

_…_

Steven stopped reading, put the paper to the side, and got up. “I’m not going to shatter White. She’s under the control of a black spindle.” He headed for the door, only to find there wasn’t one.

He turned around to find himself in a high up office, sunlight poured through the large window through which he saw a city skyline. Before him was a desk and chair, the desk had a laptop and little sign saying, “Delmarva Gazette, CEO”.

The chair turned around to reveal Yellow Diamond, sized to human scale. “So, you don’t think you have what it takes to be a shatterer? Don’t think you’ve got the oomph to break a diamond? Relax kid. I’ve got something to give you, something of your mother’s” Yellow held out her hand.

Steven gasped and fell to his knees as his gem flew out of his stomach into the diamond’s hand. “Give… give it… can’t…” The boy wheezed clutching where his gem should have remained.

Ignoring his suffering, Yellow Diamond tapped the gem a couple of times. The stone glowed a violent pink. She threw the stone back to him, it slammed back into its correct place.

Steven shakily got back to his feet. Suddenly, power, rage, and pink light screamed across his body. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!?” He roared, leaping over the desk to beat on Yellow Diamond.

Laying on the floor Yellow looked up and spoke with a calm male voice. “ **Steven Universe calmed down and** **apologized**.”

The pink light faded, his emotions back under control, Steven got off Yellow Diamond and helped her back into her chair. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s all in the past.” Yellow’s voice was back to normal. “In answer to your question, I awoke your mother’s power. Of course, once you shatter White, I can give you power beyond even your mother’s reckoning.” She held a mote of black effervesce between her fingers. “Nobody will threaten your loved ones again.”

“I don’t want to shatter anyone.”

“Don’t want to? Then how do you think this story should go?”

“Once we’ve destroyed the black spindle, we can talk all this out.”

Yellow folded her arms as she lent back in her chair. “That simply won’t do! Talking doesn’t sell papers! Where’s the tragedy? Sacrifice on the altar of your convictions? Giving up on those morals for the greater good? I want stories!”

A number of emotions fought in Steven’s stomach, perplexity winning out. “We’re trying to save the Earth and give all the gems on Homeworld a better life! You can’t say your story is more important than that!”

Greg, having replaced the diamond, laughed. “Oh Schtu-ball, nothing is more important than my story.”

Steven blinked. When he opened his eyes, he was at the shore of the Black Lake, across its opaque waters he saw Bar Meria. He saw no sign of his father nor anyone else. A hissing voice rippled across the water. “Your pacificum is childish. If you keep offering the hand of mercy to everyone that wronged you, people are going to try and bite your arm off.” One of the giant lily pads started to drift towards him, building speed. Remembering what was under it, Steven raised his shield. “And then you have to be saved,” the black water before him molded into humanoid shapes, Amethyst, Peridot, and Pilot, they stood in his defense, “by the ones who are wise enough to do what has to be done!” The pondweed serpent broke the water’s surface raising a bow wave before it.

“The snake was just an animal!” Exclaimed Steven. “It couldn’t know it was doing wrong!”

The snake reached the shore with a blinding blast of ebon foam. As the water obscured his vision, it became orange sand and blew away. Steven saw the beta kindergarten around him. He heard a familiar gruff voice behind him. “What about this one?” He spun around. Jasper. “Was she just an animal?”

Steven backed away. The dust at his feet swirled to the forms of Smokey Quartz and Peridot, again at his defense. “I would have gotten her onto our side! She was upset. I can sort this all out once we uncorrupt her.”

“She’s an immortal, a soldier who has been fighting for millennia, for a society you’re about to dismantle because you find it distasteful. How long do you need to ‘sort this all out’?”

“As long as it takes.”

“Will it be worth it?”

“Yes!”

“It is very unwise to gamble without thinking about what’s at stake. This quartz isn’t even your worst gamble.” The sand rolled away and the high towers of Homeworld rose from the ground. Jasper grew and morphed.

“I stand before you as White Diamond, the most powerful being in your galaxy, by the standards of the Pilot’s handbook, her power on Homeworld makes her a Quasideity, a god! She has unyieldingly run a voraciously expansive military empire for eons. Her flaw? Arrogance! White Diamond can never be wrong! And what is your plan to reverse this totalitarian regime? To talk her out of it!”

“She’ll listen to me! We’re family!”

“Blue and Yellow Diamond are as much her family as you are. They are scared, don’t you think you should be to? But perhaps I’m being too harsh. Let’s meet in the middle and say that you can get through to her, but let’s also be realistic and agree it probably won’t work immediately. Until she comes to your way of thinking, you’ll have to defend yourself, yes?” motes of white light dropped from the diamond’s outstretched arms, forming approximations of Connie, Pilot, Mighty Spark, Yellow and Blue Diamond, Bismuth, Lapis, and the Crystal Gems as they touched the ground, all were at his defense.

“I suppose I will, but I don’t have to shatter her!”

White Diamond stood up straight and froze. “You suppose wrong.” A smaller voice said. Peridot stepped out from the unresponsive diamond’s dress. “While you hide behind your shield, your friends will defend you.” Peridot came in close, with a smile. “You aren’t a hero yet; you don’t understand what’s at stake. Don’t worry Steven.” A crack formed on her gem. “It only takes a few of your friend’s deaths.”

Steven swiftly slapped Peridot’s deteriorating gem. His healing spit did its magic and knitted it back together. “I don’t stand by and let my friends fight my battles! You’re wrong! I fight with them, I protect them, I heal them if they get hurt! I love them.”

“And I’m sure they love you.” Peridot’s gem spontaneously exploded into shards.

Steven dropped to his knees to pick them up only to find them lost in a sea of shards. He looked around, no buildings, no floor, no life beside himself, only shards. Except he wasn’t alone, someone was behind him, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the broken pieces. The distant voice returned. “You can’t avoid tragedy Steven; it’s how we grow stronger. I’ve faced more than my fair share!”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be.” It replied, its slight outburst entirely buried. “My tragedy drove me to heights of power my Pilot can never imagine. I offer you that power, so that you may keep what you love. But you need a tragedy to grow from, and sacrifice is tragedy in its purest form, it is only a matter of what you lose.”

Steven rested his hand on the ground only to feel a softer patch among the sharp, hard shards. He looked down at where his hand had laid and gasped in horror, in among the shards was a patch of dark, human skin. Steven dug furiously through the shards, heedless to the cuts his bare hands received. He stilled his bleeding hands. Sticking out of the small pit he had dug was a hand he recognized, a hand he had held, a hand that had led him on adventure, a hand to wield the sword to his shield. The hand started to sink, he grabbed onto it, its flesh was cold. Suddenly, the hand grabbed back. It pulled him under.

Steven’s next sensation was raindrops on his face. He opened his eyes to the grey cloudy sky and manifested a shield against the precipitation. He looked around, noting his newest location. A cemetery, green grass, grey headstones, and a deep, inconsolable sobbing from around a wall. “I like this story Steven,” the voice whispered, “at least you won’t suffer alone.”

Steven walked silently towards the crying. On the other side of the wall were newer graves. He froze, his dream body rejecting the sight before him; an open grave, a small casket beside it, and Priyanka sobbing her heart out over it. “My baby! How could I have let this happen!”

The boy went to comfort her then stopped. “Is this just you again? This isn’t funny!” He started to cry.

Priyanka looked up, squinting her streaming eyes. “Steven?”

“My blushes Steven.” The voice sounded amused. “I can feign a great number of emotions, but only the greatest actors may imitate grief like this.”

Priyanka tensed with fear in response to the voice’s coldness. “Steven who is that? Why are you here?”

“Doctor Maheswaran!” Steven ran up to her raising his shield in the direction he last heard the voice. “Listen. None of this is real, you’re dreaming. This voice has been showing me all these horrible things. Connie is OK though, she’s still alive.”

“Yes,” The voice agreed, “quite alive. But if you’re going to become the ruler this reality needs, she can’t stay that way.”

“What are you saying!?” The doctor exploded unexpectedly. “What sort of psychopathic... thing thinks of using children like that!? You will get away from my kids or so help me-,”

The voice narrated. “ **Priyanka Maheswaran was silent**.”

For a moment her tongue stilled.

From a distance, farther than the malevolent voice was another voice they could all three barely hear. “ **Was she?** ”

“You don’t tell me to be quiet!” Priyanka roared marching ahead of Steven. “You are going to leave my daughter alone! You will stop trying to groom her boyfriend! You will stop with these threats! You’re nothing but a coward! Show yourself!”

The first voice seemed to pace through the air, muttering. “Fuck. Fuck! Fine, you want me to show myself, Fine!”

Connie angrily leapt out of the casket. “This is me! I don’t have anything to show!” She pointed to the distance. “That wandering, unfaithful bastard took everything I had in a single gunshot! I’m reduced to clinging on to pieces of memories! Look at this!” She pointed at her mouth. “My lips are over-pronounced by a millimetre and I’m at least five centimetres too tall! Just admit your obsession with women taller than you, you degenerate!” She snapped at Steven.

“Why are you impersonating my daughter?” Priyanka demanded angrily. “You aren’t winning any friends!”

“I’m not trying to!” Connie exploded. She breathed in and composed herself. “I simply have a warning and an offer. One day Steven, you will find holding onto your morals will force you to sacrifice something more precious. It happens to everyone, humans, gems, kelmep, it happens to all strata, from the beggar in the street to the nobleman’s daughter who got knocked up by a random sailor. When it happens, I’ll be there to bring your love back and give you the power to keep them safe from farther harm. My price is that you help me reclaim my lost love. You will find the price fair when the time comes.” Everything, the graveyard, the rain, Connie, vanished into a dark gloom. Priyanka and Steven stood together for a moment.

Suddenly, a portal opened, bathing them in pure warp-energy-blue light. Silhouetted against the light was a man’s figure, the shape of the crowbar slung across his back cutting a clear figure in the light. “Hello? Are you there?”


	19. Dream Happier Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Hound gone, Steven and Priyanka are faced with Archibald, the first Pilot. Thankfully, he's here to help, sent by a mysterious benefactor who loves both of them and cares for them dearly. 
> 
> Archibald is here to take Steven back to his own mind and assure the hound is less of a problem in future. A task easier for Priyanka than a Diamond.

Priyanka and Steven watched the man fumble around one edge of the portal. With a click he flipped the light switch and the three of them found themselves in Priyanka’s front room. As the portal closed behind him Priyanka recognized him. “You… you’re the Pilot, from the recordings Pearl had.”

The elderly man clasped his hands together with a smile. “My good doctor that name was mine a lifetime ago, nine lifetimes in fact. Call me Archibald.”

“Are you real?” Asked Steven.

“Yes, I am real.”

“Why are you here?”

“I was tipped off that my old hound was giving you two some bother.” He looked up sadly. “I’m sorry it took me so long to help you.”

Steven scanned Priyanka’s face. “What?”

Some tears coursed down her still wet cheeks. “I’ve been having that nightmare for a while now.”

Archibald held out a supportive hand. “Now now, it’s alright. Your daughter is safe, and the hound won’t bother you anymore. Why don’t you go dream happier dreams?”

Priyanka eyed his hand suspiciously. “Who tipped you off?”

Archibald ambled over to a seat. “May I? My legs aren’t what they used to be.”

Priyanka nodded.

He sat gratefully. “I was sent by somebody who cares greatly for you and Steven. I’d give you their name, but you don’t know it yet.”

“Yet?” She questioned.

“Well they’re yet to be born.” He explained plainly.

“What?” Priyanka exclaimed, sinking into the sofa. “How can someone who hasn’t been born yet tip you off?”

He realized the confusion. “Ah yes! I forgot how time works in your world. Where I now live, time is simply another place you can go to.”

“And where’s that?”

“The warp.”

Steven spoke up. “You mean as in the spaces between dimensions?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible! According to the Pilot there’s nothing in the warp except pure warp energy, anything else would be erased.”

Archibald chuckled. “You certainly put a lot of stock into his words Steven! Don’t get me wrong, Pilot is clever, but he doesn’t know everything. Now Priyanka, you have a long day at work tomorrow and if Steven and I don’t get out of your head soon you’ll wake up tired.” He got up. “Come along Steven, I’ll walk you back to your own mind.”

Priyanka put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “How can we trust you? You could be the hound in disguise.”

“Do you think that I am?”

“No, but it’s possible.”

“Indeed, the person who told me to come help you out gave me a message for just this possibility. Aap apne poti pe bharosa nahi kar sakte toh kispe karenge?”

Priyanka gasped and released Steven’s shoulder. “What did he say?” Steven asked.

“I need some time to process it myself. I’ll try to explain tomorrow if you come by.” She replied happily. “You should go with him.”

Steven stepped toward Archibald who stood up. The two of them headed out the front door. As the boy followed Archibald through the threshold he turned back. “See you tomorrow Dr Maheswaran!”

Priyanka did not respond; Doug had appeared on the couch beside her and they were talking excitedly. “Steven called. They’ll be over in a few minutes.”

“Wait, why is she ignoring us?”

“We’re out of her mental forefront.” The old man explained. “We exist outside her dreams.”

Steven looked around, from the exterior the walls were invisible, outside of the dream all was an incomprehensible jumble of ideas and images. “I’m surprised Dr Maheswaran can go straight to dreaming after all she’s been through.”

“Ah.” Archibald exclaimed. “That is because of me. You see when my hound first found Priyanka’s mind, most likely by pure chance, they left a back door so they could return to torment her again. I’ve closed that door, allowing her consciousness to be lost to the hound among all the others in your universe.”

“Well that’s good right? They won’t bother her anymore?”

“Indeed. However, by closing the door, I have removed all trace of the hound from her as well. She has no memory of her nightmares, and no memory of tonight either.”

“What!? You erased her memories!?” Steven cried.

“Only as much as necessary to keep her safe.” Suddenly two new figures appeared between Steven and Archibald. It took little deduction to realize from the skin tones and bone structures they were meant to be Steven and Connie as adults. Both looked tired yet happy and Connie held a bundle in her arms slightly too high for Steven to properly see. Neither dream manifestation recognized the real people. Archibald smiled and tickled the bundle with one finger. “Gitchi gitchi goo! Perhaps something may remain in her subconscious after all. We should go.”

Priyanka’s dream faded behind them as they journeyed back to Steven’s mind. Archibald lead the way as the random images disintegrated into white and teal mists and the mists gave way to inky blackness. Between minds Steven began to think. “Will Archibald erase my memories to?”

“No, I won’t erase the hound from your memories.” Archibald replied aloud. “While she’s obviously important, Priyanka is still one of a fairly numerous people. You are one of four diamonds. It would not take the hound long to find your mind again.”

“Did you hear my thoughts?”

“You were thinking very loudly.”

Steven mentally shelved his response to that statement. “So, I’m going to remember all this?”

“Sort of. The hound won’t let you clearly recall his message while you are awake, he’s already buried it in your id and I fear the damage I’d cause trying to dig it up.”

Out of the nothingness around them came a pink mist, bursting with images familiar to Steven, his dad, the gems, lion, Pilot, and Connie, quite a few images of Connie, quite a few images of Connie he would rather Archibald not see. “This is so embarrassing! How will I explain this to him!” The boy thought.

“It’s your mind Steven, you can see far more in here than I can, just try not to think of anything embarrassing before we get to the seat of your consciousness.”

“R-right!” He tried to think neutral thoughts. When his mind drifted, he replayed his conversation so far with Archibald. “Can the hound get back into my mind then?” He asked.

“At the moment, yes.”

“What do you mean ‘at the moment’?”

“Your mind is wide open Steven, anyone with mind reading or influencing powers could just waltz in here. I’m going to teach you how to resist that. If you can repel the hound you can repel anything. Your mind will be a fortress.”

“Alright then, when’s my first lesson?”

“Tomorrow night?”

“Sounds good. Archibald?”

“Yes Steven?”

“Why did the hound give me a message I won’t remember?”

“They want it to become an unshakable paranoia, one that will cause you to make bad decisions while you’re awake.”

“Will I make bad decisions?”

“Everyone makes bad decisions Steven.” The old man assured. “The best we can do is resolve our doubts. So tell me, what doubts did the hound give you.”

Steven took a deep breath. “They said if I didn’t shatter White Diamond Connie… Connie would…” He stopped walking as the images around them turned more violent and his fears resolved into a single, heartbroken cry. “They said Connie is going to die! Connie’s going to die and it’ll all be my fault!” He sank to his knees and the horrific images threatened to swallow him like a wretched cloak.

The images distanced themselves from his body as Archibald knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder. “It doesn’t do to dwell too much on such grim suggestions, especially when they’re suggested by those who’d do well to see us hurt by them.”

Steven looked up. “You think they were lying?”

“One of the hound’s many flaws is their tendency to conflate what they want and what will be, implying that the former is the latter. I believe the fate of White Diamond and young Miss Maheswaran are as much in their own hands as yours. Let’s keep going, were almost at the seat of your conscious.” The pair of them continued for a while until they came upon a rather comfortable looking armchair. “There it is, the seat of your consciousness!” Archibald declared.

“It’s a literal seat?”

“It’s a complicated philosophical concept your brain rationalizes as a literal seat.” He explained. “You can picture it as something, someone, or somewhere else if you like.”

The armchair was instantly replaced by the gems, Pilot and Greg looking upon Steven proudly, in front of them was Connie in a sundress, smiling and waving sweetly. “Welcome home Biscuit!” She grinned excitedly; arms open for a hug.

Steven squeaked embarrassedly. “I didn’t mean to do that! I was trying for-!”

“Home?” Archibald suggested. “But Steven, is home not where your loved ones are?”

The boy’s embarrassment faded. “Yeah… Yeah! You’re right!”

Archibald chuckled contentedly. “Remember that Steven, it’ll make you a fine Pilot. Before I go, was there anything else that concerned you?”

Steven thought for a moment before remembering. “The hound did something to my gem!”

Archibald arched a brow in surprise. “May I take a look?”

“Sure.” Steven lifted his shirt slightly.

The old man knelt before him and took out an engraved jeweler's loupe. “Hmm… it doesn’t seem that they’ve added anything, but they have released a power previously suppressed by your human half. Your powers are bonded onto your emotions correct?”

“Yes.”

He gave a concerned grimace. “Steven, I’m going to put a cap on this power that will prevent the power from conducting through your human form, I’ll come back and remove it when you are emotionally mature enough to control the power.”

“I’m pretty emotionally mature already.” Steven insisted.

“For your age Steven. You are great at handling the emotional issues of others, now you just need to handle your own.” He touched the gem, it momentarily pulsed with blue light. Before Steven could react, Archibald was giving him instructions. “Now Steven, this cap has been written into the matrix of your gem so there’s not much that can dislodge it. The only thing I can think of are Homeworld devices called rejuvenators, they entirely reset a gem’s mental processors. Your human form should stop it from doing that to you, but it will erase the cap. I won’t give you many instructions in your life but stay away from them.”

“Ok.” Steven replied. “Is that everything?”

“For tonight. Goodnight Steven.”

“See you tomorrow Archibald.” Steven turned to the seat of his consciousness and returned his girlfriend’s embrace. “Hey Strawberry.” With that he drifted into dreams forgetting all he had experienced that night except a slight aversion to rejuvenators, vague hints of having had a nightmare, and the assurance he was the master of his own destiny despite it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this story. The next story in this series will be titled "One Week 'til Homeworld" so look out for the first chapter next week. Expect longer chapters, more action, and deeper interpersonal moments. I hope to hear from you then.


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